thisavrou_log | [ OPEN : IN OUR BEDROOM AFTER THE WAR. ]

Entry tags:

fate series: siegfried

[ OPEN : IN OUR BEDROOM AFTER THE WAR. ]

Who: Karna (

vaikartana), OTA.
When: Anytime during the first few days of the month!
Where: All around; refer to headers for location.
What: New arrivals and exploration— a demigod is lost on a space station, help him out.
Warnings: None for now, will add as necessary!

A. INGRESS MEMORIAL - IT'S US, YES, WE'RE BACK AGAIN.

[ The first few hours that Karna spends in Avagi blend into one continuous day of idle exploration. There's something about being lost in space that feels like a logical progression of events in his mind, like an epilogue tacked on to the end of a book that he'd been ready to put down. Open-ended and trite, yes, but necessary.

He wanders the halls like a living anachronism, gold-plated and red-caped. Occasionally, he traces his hand along the outline of a wall or the corner of a turn, blue eyes fixed on a certain point with needless intensity before the sharpness of his scrutiny focuses back on the trajectory of his path. Always with purpose, but never with much direction.

The only time he seems to relax somewhat is in the quiet, open space of the Ingress Memorial, where he's decided to perch and rest for the time being. He's taking inventory on the very edge of the half-circle that forms the seating area, inspecting a spear that seems far too unwieldy for a man of Karna's stature to hold.

(Depending on how long you're watching, the weapon in question might disappear into thin air following a satisfied hm. What the heck, right??? Is this guy a magician????????? Feel free to ask him, he won't bite.) ]

B. HALL OF MUSIC - HERE TO SEE YOU THROUGH.

[ Ah. In his inspection of some of the alien instruments, he seems to have inadvertently turned one of them on to autoplay... or some sort of equivalent of it. It sounds something like this, but on a loop after every 8 seconds.

Uh.

Mildly perplexed, Karna is just... standing there, pressing a few buttons that only manages to add a smooth synth background to the screaming duck noises. What the heck... he didn't ask for this. ]

I see.

This is what people must mean when they refer to technology being a bane.

[ karna just try to stop it jfc ]

C. LIBRARY - 'TIL THE DAYS END.

[ The archives in the library are impressive, but arcane. There's nothing to recognize among the rows of publications that line the shelves, no familiar epics to give some semblance of reality to an already-confusing situation.

Maybe this is why he feels so thin here; he doubts that aliens have knowledge of the Mahabharata, after all.

But that's a personal aside, and he sees no reason to dwell on the obscurity of his existence in space. Instead, he thumbs through the pages of an alien mystery novel until he gets tired of it (he's never been much of a scholar), and meanders through the labyrinth of shelves to bump right into someone else as he's rounding the corner. ]

My apologies. [ He says quietly, evenly, before noticing that the impact of their collision's causing a nearby ladder to teeter on its uneven legs. ] —Step aside.

[ A quick grab-and-pull later, Karna's maneuvered them both out of the way of that falling obstacle. CLOSE CALL THERE BUDDY.... ] ...Are you alright?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The library is one place Siegfried visits often, despite the lack of really anything that resembles the Nibelungenlied. A part of him wonders if things will eventually change or possibly grow- new places had arrived and disappeared without warning, so it's a hope of his that perhaps familiar works might show up to give him some reprieve.

It isn't that he's homesick- he's simply wanting something familiar to find for himself, in a way.

Which is why he's in there as Karna explores the shelves, face in a book and trying to see if anything in this book sounds anything remotely close to the legends back home. He doesn't even bother looking at anyone else who has arrived- most of the time, they don't bother him and he doesn't really bother them, unless they ask him for something. Siegfried shuffles through the pages and frowns, obviously not finding anything close to the stories he's familiar with, before he puts the book down on a pile of other stacked books by his feet and grabs another one from the nearby shelf. He's been at this for a while, now.

It goes on like this for a moment or so before he exhales, looking away from his research to notice someone's passed by- and said someone has a mass of white hair that looks uncannily familiar to him. He blinks, double-taking for a second before curiosity demands he investigate further, the book in his hand forgotten.

....................................Ah. He might have also forgotten about the stacks by his feet.

Which means he's stumbling forward and out of the aisle he was in and nearly faceplanting into a chair just behind Karna. A hand tries to reach for something to grab to steady himself, and instead pulls at the edge of a table, toppling another stack of books to his sides and just making a mess with a fluttering of pages and bookmarks crumbling to the floor. He rolls instinctively on his back and lays there, sprawled like an idiot and dazed at what just happened. When he comes to, suddenly he remembers someone else is still in the library and probably heard the whole commotion.

So, uh. Here lies Siegfried, rank E in luck and absolutely contemplating everything about his life in this moment. Everything is terrible and it's all the Rheingold's fault.]

[ Here's living proof that time is malleable. The 10 seconds that it takes for Siegfried to lay waste to this corner of the library simultaneously happens within the span of an eternity and the beat of a blink— long enough that it takes Karna a moment to digest the comings and goings, fast enough that reflex is what pulls Karna away from the carnage of books and papers with a deft backwards step.

There's no salve to put on injured pride, and unfortunately, Karna isn't offering any. Still as a frozen lake, he tips his head to the side and evaluates the state of the man on the ground with deafening equanimity.

(a slow seep of nostalgia rises from the pit of his stomach; the distant cousin of déjà vu, just strong enough that it makes the fine hairs on the nape of his neck bristle.) ]

...That was quite a fall. It seems you don't do anything by halves.

[ When he finally speaks, it's with a measure of familiarity that he can't place. Maybe it's because he senses that he's addressing another Servant, or maybe it's for completely different reasons that are too obscure to parse at the moment.

Either way, Karna has no qualms with stepping over a pile of fallen novels to approach his fellow comrade in bad luck. Palm upturned, he offers his help with open-ended fairness. A quiet 'take it or leave it, it's fine either way.' ]

[Karna receives a sigh for his words, at first.]

...I noticed.

[This coming from the man who is currently on the floor and putting his face in his hands for no other reason than potential embarrassment. It's not said rudely, but more as a resigned agreement. That, of course, immediately disappears as Siegfried pauses, lifting his hands to blink at the ceiling above him.

He knows that voice.

Karna comes into his sight a moment later, and Siegfried takes the hand offered wordlessly. The mess and the books are all forgotten as he spends a moment staring back at the other, crossing his arms quietly and headtilting. After a silent study of Karna, Siegfried speaks.]

It is you.

[Which begs the question as to how exactly Karna got here, considering the Ingress is... well. Not exactly in working shape. There's a bit of a frown as he puzzles the question over.]

When did you arrive?

[Christ on a cracker, Siegfried, maybe work on introductions first??????]

[ Communication issues: the thread. Karna can tell, even when he's busying himself with looping his fingers around Siegfried's wrist to tug him up and away from the corpse pile of books, that a lot of assumptions are being made here. Namely, that they're meant to know each other somehow.

To some extent, it makes sense. Being what they are, it stands to reason that some fragment of his soul may have met this man somewhere— in all the infinite possibilities of their lives post-death, this so-called stranger could have been an enemy, a rival, a comrade. That would account for the recognition that he's coming to terms with, at any rate.

Another tip of his head, and Karna finally begins stringing his words together. Lord help him. ]

Only three days prior to this.

[ Three whole days of ghosting... incredible. He says so matter-of-factly, and appends his answer with another bluntly-stated comment. ]

Before we continue— [ be gentle, karna... ] —there's one thing to clarify.

Have we met?

[ How Not To Make Friends 101 ]

[Truthfully it didn't even occur to him that Karna might be from another War, or even possibly another time. After essentially being here with no other Servants around, seeing a familiar face automatically lead him to assume that they were from the Greater Grail War.

He listens to the other talk about being here for three days, and gives him a startled look. How had he not noticed him? It's almost boggling.

And then, Karna asks for a clarification- and asks if they've met.

For a very, very long moment, Siegfried only stares back at him with an incredulous look, completely confused and absolutely unsure as to what to say. Then, it dawns on him, and he simply closes his eyes and sighs, unable to stop himself from smiling at the irony.]

...I see.

[So, starting from square one, then. A part of him can't help but be disappointed. Still, this is better than nothing.]

We have, at least in the War I was summoned to. Our fight was the first battle of the Greater Grail War. [Siegfried gestures openly.] We were an even match, though I'm sure had we not stopped, we would have gladly fought to the death. [There's a deep kind of respect in his eyes at that, one he doesn't often hold for his opponents. Karna actually made him fear for his life- something he hasn't had to do in centuries.] My Master wasn't exactly... [He fumbles for the word.] familiar with how a Servant battle goes.

[A pause, and he tilts his head and exhales.] It's Siegfried, by the way. [Not Saber, as he tells everyone else- his real name.] We gave each other our names on the eve of our battle.

[It only seems right to give his name in return for someone he respects, and knows the name of in return.]

[ Karna doesn't need to draw on his powers of discernment to analyze this reaction: the world-weary dejection is clear on Siegfried's face. ]

...I see. [ He only speaks when his fellow Servant stops, brows furrowed in mild concentration. ] Siegfried, the Dragonslayer. Hero of the Nibelungenlied, champion to all.

Don't misunderstand me, Siegfried— I don't recall our meeting, but my soul recognizes a worthy adversary.

[ For a half-second, remorse plays at the edge of his features. Sincerity comes easily to Karna; he doesn't see his honesty as discarding his pride, and he has no qualms with expressing his regret to someone who, in his own words, described their duel as "even". Karna has no reason to doubt that evaluation, given that he'd be able to tell if Siegfried were lying or resorting to idle bluster.

His posture straightens incrementally. A silent inhale, and he faces Siegfried again with unclouded conviction. ]

You may already know my name, but accept it again as recompense, warrior of humility. [ This is Important to him, after all. ] I am Karna, smiled on by fate to face you once more.

[He isn't surprised by Karna's first statement, an understanding of who he is and his story, though Siegfried shakes his head a little at the title, easing himself just a little.]

I'm no champion, just myself.

[He doesn't consider his life to be as great as the stories say he is. It could be considered humble, but the reality is his lack of self-confidence in himself in general. Acting the part of a hero isn't difficult- but believing in himself is.

But it's the next statement that causes him to blink.

I don't recall our meeting, but my soul recognizes a worthy adversary.

He wasn't expecting to hear anything remotely similar, but the admittance of something like that is important, and he stills at it. Karna may not recognize him, but his soul does- whether or not they truly are from the same War or not, there is a sense of familiarity between them, and one that is perhaps stronger than Siegfried first imagined.

But it's not only familiarity- it's an accepted sense of respect between them both, and that is something he knows now that has not changed. Karna's split-second look of remorse confirms it. Suddenly, he's thankful Karna's here, even if they need to start over in some ways.]

You- [He flusters a little, hearing the other speak. You give me too much credit, he wants to say, but he can't help but grin slightly.] Facing each other can wait for now, considering we've only been here for about a month. What do you know so far?

[About Avagi, about their situation, about how other people need their help. If there was ever a chance to give, it would be now, and he of all people would know.]

[ How refreshing. Siegfried is the opposite of everything that Karna'd experienced on Moon Cell, a stark contrast to the Servants that he encountered in that sunset school building where all the days blurred into one. It stirs that feeling of familiarity again, something dormant in the millions of pages of his soul's history; he doesn't have to know the details to understand that he values it.

Siegfried's grin is reciprocated with the slightest gentling of Karna's iron-plated calm, lips upturned just a fraction in something that approaches satisfaction. As always, despite the reality of his situation, he considers himself as fortunate as a man like him can be; respect can always be found in the most unlikely places.

Speaking of where they are right now, though......... ]

Truthfully speaking— not much.

[ He knows they're in space, he knows this isn't a War, and he knows that he's Masterless. Those are his chief concerns, but he's accepted them. ]

Enough to understand, however, that our usual constraints don't hold. [ His gaze intensifies just barely, in a silent request for corroboration. ] The only matter at hand seems to be to survive.

[There's something earnest in the way they're speaking with each other- in the War, Siegfried had been denied any chance to talk at all, something he chose not to argue against and eventually regretted doing so. But it was in his battle with Karna that he spoke only once, but it was open and honest, a rare time that anyone had ever heard him speak. He sincerely desired to fight Karna once more, in the future.

So, yes, it could have been fate that brought them both here. Fate is an odd thing, and one that Siegfried honestly doesn't try to think about anymore. Tragedy will always follow after him, and he's come to simply take it for what it is. There is no point in fighting against something he cannot fix.

When Karna looks back to him for what he thinks might be a pleased look, and then to confirm his statement, Siegfried nods.]

They don't. Not here, at least. [Karna is correct that they're stranded in space, both Masterless, and outside of a War. The thought of two Servants even doing things outside of a War would certainly boggle many magi, but that's not something they have to worry about here.] As far as survival goes, you'd be right in that as well. But this place, Avagi— [He jerks his head to the side, indicating the place as a whole.] used to be a lot more than what it is now.

[There's a sigh, and Siegfried crosses his arms. This is going to be a bit of a story.] I don't know everything, but before Avagi, this place was larger. It was actually two whole planets, named Thisavrou. Their residents, the Savrii, apparently were an advanced civilization that had taken in others here, after they were stranded on a crashed ship called the Moira. It had grabbed people from different realms and times with a device called the Ingress. No one knew how to stop it, or how to send people home, they simply traveled in the hopes to find a place that did know of how to fix it- and that ended with the ship crashing.

The survivors of the crash had been on Thisavrou for a while, before this mess started. I'm told that there were many events that caused a clear divide between residents and non-residents of the planet, and it only became worse when I arrived. [He exhales, looking unamused.] All those brought in by the Ingress, both on the Moira and the one on Thisavrou, were singled out, and then we were placed in a region that made us powerless and compliant if we tried any aggression towards our captors. We spent a month in that region- two weeks in a mental cage, believing we were stranded in a location with little to survive on, and then another two weeks without much to do except wait for the Savrii's judgement upon us for "our actions."

[From his tone, it's highly evident of what he thinks about that whole escapade. They took innocents and treated them like garbage, even the ones who had nothing to do with prior events.]

We escaped eventually with the help of a creature named Mother, who wanted our help to find her child. In exchange, she would protect us from the intermediaries- those who kept us from being "violent" and would make anyone who approached them in anger suddenly become calm and have no desire to do anything but be calm and pleasant. [A moment passes and he frowns.] We didn't have much of a choice, so we agreed. The entire group broke out as a result, and we became fugitives, hunted for being labeled as dangerous and unstable. No one trusted us, and it was hard to trust even civilians then.

Of course, Mother had wanted to use us all along. [He gestures with one palm up at this, though it's clear he's not happy with how everything ended.] When a group took her inside the Ingress to find her child, she betrayed them and did something to the Ingress to essentially overload it. As a result, the planets began to fall apart. We only managed to escape by being called to flashes of light, and we ended up here. It was after searching through any records that we could find that we learned that Avagi is Thisavrou, but now 300 years in the future.

[Siegfried pauses, and shakes his head.] I won't lie to you, Karna. It's been difficult. We watched two worlds die in front of our eyes before we were whisked away to here. Some people have said there was a voice that spoke to them, that told them there was still a chance to save this place, but we haven't found it. [A beat.] Not yet, at least.

[Surviving and turning this place into something a bit more livable has been a bigger priority.]

D because I'm terrible to him, lbr

oh my god.... RIP siegfried

this friendship is going to be amazing

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B, he never asked for this either

adam!!! sorry for stealing his tagline.......

it made me lol I couldn't resist tagging

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