Season 1: Persepolis/Round 2 Thread 3
Dad 08-Nov-20 07:42 AM
King Scorpion II 30-Nov-20 05:17 AM
"Oho, what's this?"
The Scorpion Queen held aloft a banana, eyes wide with wonder as she examined the fruit. What a peculiar shape! What an odd colour! And what was with the strange, leathery texture? What was this strange object, and what purpose did it serve?
"I'll take all of them!" Berserker declared, grabbing the whole basket of delicious yellow fruits as the merchant looked at her, absolutely bewildered. She proceeded to place the basket next to her many bags, each filled with useless knick-knacks and junk she wanted, but didn't really need. Still, they were neat, and they'd certainly amuse her for a moment or two.
"Okay, then. That will be-"
"Yes, yes, you'll receive your payment. Sardon, hurry up and give this merchant that special papyrus you have!" Scorpion barked at Sandro. It was a wonder how the master had gotten dragged into this mess in the first place...
The Attacks 30-Nov-20 05:17 AM
Dad 30-Nov-20 05:18 AM
<a href="https://tenor.com/view/banana-cat-cute-kawaii-gif-13326985">https://tenor.com/view/banana-cat-cute-kawaii-gif-13326985</a>
Sandro Moretti 30-Nov-20 12:46 PM
As Berserker happily dug into the Moretti family fortune, Sandro stood shaking like a lost puppy cradling his elbows. He felt extremely out of place shopping here with his servant, and the bags in front of his eyes only made him fear his fathers economic disappointment.
Suddenly Sandro snapped out of his trance as the fruit vendor eyed him down expecting payment for all of his bananas. “H-here you go sir” Sandro said, handing over a wad of cash.
“Berserker” Sandro whispered tugging at her arm. “We can't go around spending all of this money! My dad’s gonna murder me, plus now of all times is not when I wanna be falunting around money....a-and people might think weird things” Sandro’s face turned flush for a moment as he paused in place “People might think im on some weird cougar date”.
King Scorpion II 30-Nov-20 02:06 PM
"Hush, Sadron! If your father wishes to murder you, then I will simply murder him first!" Scorpion declared, her stinger repeatedly stabbing the air in a grotesque pantomime of what might be. "That will teach him not to get between a pharaoh and her delightful crescent objects!"
Having sufficiently hammered home her point, Berserker turned her attention back to acquiring more nice things. Her tail snaked through the various straps and handles of bags and baskets, lifting them up effortlessly as she continued on down the rows upon rows of shops and stalls. However, Sandro's comments were enough to cause her stride to falter slightly.
"Me, a cougar? That's almost as insulting at the implication that I would date a twig like you!" The Egyptian chided her master, shaking her head as she walked. "Though, I suppose I can't fault your excellent tastes. Then again, you might need to aim lower. After all, you're certainly not within my league..."
The queen trailed off, sidestepping into a clothing store and beginning to pick through the wondrous fabrics. Really, modern fashion was so strange! So garish and odd, yet so amusing! Did people really wear these nowadays? If they were willing to spend so much money on it, then surely there had to be something of value to it, right?
"Hurry up and get over here, vizier! I require a second opinion!"
The Attacks 30-Nov-20 02:06 PM
Lorenzo Jamie 02-Dec-20 11:01 AM
The marketplace reserved for commoners was nothing impressive, and as such, the people within it weren't either. Poor commoners bustled about with simple errands, fearful of the war between aristocrats and mafia going on above them.
Which is why a series of armed guards marching down the marketplace was so worrying. Commoners quickly got out of the way, wondering why armed guards would be in a place like this, and what their purpose might be. In their midst, unseen due to his small stature, was a boy. He pointed at shops whenever he could, beaming wildly, despite his sickly appearance.
"Oh! Look, a sweetshop!" Lorenzo said excitedly as he tried to bounce as high as he could above the shoulders of his guards. "Do you think they have those red and white canes that you can lick? They're called candy canes, right? Hmm... That reminds me, did you ever have sweets back in your time?"
The young boy looked over at the herculean giant standing behind him, impossible to miss in his armor and extraordinary appearance. "Ae—Lancer?" Lorenzo asked eagerly.
Sandro Moretti 03-Dec-20 05:24 PM
Sandro could only try and drone out his servant's ramblings. Everything she said was so condescending and backhanded. It was starting to take a toll on his mental state. Sandro just wasn't sure how long he could deal with it before breaking down. For now, though, keeping Berserker happy seemed like the best option.
"H-hey Ill have you know people think i'm pretty good looking." Sandro retorted, trying to defend himself from Scorpion's insults. "Plus, the Moretti family is one that has survived countless ages acquiring great powers as a family, and I happen to be a culmination of all of that hard work. So if anyone is out of their league, it's you." So much for keeping Berserker happy, Sandro seemed to have gone entirely back on his previous thoughts.
As he ranted about why he should be considered up to Scorpion King's standards, he approached her side, peering down at whatever she was eyeballing. "Well, what do you need help with?"
Nubby 03-Dec-20 05:25 PM
King Scorpion II 04-Dec-20 01:41 AM
Sandro attempted to cope, but only succeeded in seething. It appeared he had made a grave error in summoning a Berserker. Perhaps he had interpreted the name wrong? It wasn't a a class for servants who were berserk, but instead for servants who drove others berserk? Truly, a question for the ages... A question he wouldn't be able to answer right now. After all, his servant has a question for him!
"...I forgot." Scorpion stated with a shrug. She looked around, lost for a moment, before her eyes returned to the clothing rack in front of her. What were these strange new fabrics she'd never seen before! They looked so exotic! Was this that fashion she'd heard so much about! How thrilling! If these were the latest trends, then she, a great pharaoh, would surely have to participate!
She dug through the rack for a moment, looking for something suitably new and flashy, before pulling out a peculiar hoodie...
"Vizier, buy me this." The queen plainly stated, clearly unaware of how !!CURSED!! the hoodie she wanted truly was. What kind of degenerate stall was this, anyway? They clearly didn't operate within the pre-established "Persepolis Public Sale of Adult Material Mandate 3000", the filthy degenerates!
Their flagrant flaunting of the law was problematic enough, but it also posed a much bigger problem for Sandro. Mainly, that he had to deal with the disaster of a woman in front of him, and her horrible understanding of modern trends.
The Attacks 04-Dec-20 01:46 AM
Ajax the Great 05-Dec-20 11:05 AM
Though the summoning had been in the past for a while now, Ajax still couldn't shake the uneasiness that came the eve before a battle. He had initially sensed six other servants but now that number had far swollen beyond the typical number. There was no Holy Grail War here but an uneasy peace between two wealthy alliances that was bound to catch innocents in the crossfire. Unfortunately, there was little he could do at the moment to bring about a greater peace
Instead, he was in the center of the most noticeable group in the markets, flanked by a good many guards. Even with a large blue-grey cloak obscuring much of his form and and his head bent down, there was little he could do to hide himself. Auster meant well in his efforts to protect Lorenzo but he failed to realize how much of a target he painted on his own son's back by doing so. He would have to argue with him when they got back from this excursion about reducing the guard numbers.
He was interrupted in his thoughts as Lorenzo excitedly called out the next destination they were to tour and awkwardly file through with full detail per Auster's orders. The innocent questions of the boy would ease the rising ache in his head and make him forget the nagging itch in his shieldless arms.
"I am sure they will have these candied shepard's crooks that you long for. Perhaps not in the amount you want but there nonetheless," Ajax would muse, leaning down beside Lorenzo, comically stroking his dark blue mane. "Ah and now you try to take me back to my own times? Haha I should have known you would, milk and honey were the sweets of our day, honeyed fruit if you were lucky. None of this corn syrup or the Egyptian cane..."
As they went to go into the store, Ajax turned around and motioned for the guards to stand around for the time being. He alone would take care of Lorenzo for this visit. The boy deserved that much
Lorenzo Jamie 07-Dec-20 03:49 AM
Lorenzo gave a salute to his Servant. "Got it! I'll bring you back a something nice! Something sweet, but not too sweet? Hmmmm..." The young boy would ponder this as the guards parted to let Lorenzo enter the sweetshop. His eyes lit up as he looked around in surprise. They had, as Lancer called them, 'candied shepard's crooks' in all colors of the rainbow.
Outside, several of the guards sighed and relaxed. Most pulled out cigarettes, and asked others for a light. They were tensely coiled, especially after the breach in security that had led to Ajax's summon, but they were still grateful for the break.
The shop was almost too small for Ajax, causing Lorenzo to almost laugh, but he stopped himself. It wasn't polite to laugh at someone who was protecting him, even at the risk of their own discomfort. Lorenzo had to find something that Ajax would enjoy. Honeyed fruit...
Out a side door, Lorenzo saw a fruit stand out a side door, leading to another street. While his Servant tried to maneuver about, the Jamie heir slipped through the other entrance, and into the other street, desire to purchase candy forgotten, like a sudden change in wind.
As he ran towards the fruit stand—one that had been mysteriously cleared of yellow fruit, Lorenzo bumped into a man who was about to witness the most terrifying hoodie all of in Persepolis. Lorenzo fell backwards onto his backpack, cushioning the fall. Lancer's master had ran into Berserker's master. Poetry...
"Ow ow ow..." Lorenzo said, having bumped into Sandro.
Nubby 08-Dec-20 10:16 AM
<Sandro> Sandro glanced around the Scorpion King's shoulder. Surely someone of her stature had picked out some fabulous garment that would end up scaring his family fortune. To his surprise, it was anything but that. He eyed the clothing, his mouth gaping open slightly before looking Berserker in her eyes. His face carried a strange mix between disappointment and bewilderment.
"B-berserker... I can't buy you that; I mean, look at it, it's totally inappropriate!" Sandro shook his head in rapid disapproval. A thought then crossed the young man's mind. What if he did buy it for her? He doesn't know there's anything wrong with it. It would be like his own little joke, something he would laugh at every time she spoke down to him.
"Actually, nevermind all of that… I'd be an awful vizier if I didn't buy it for y-" Sandro was cut off mid-sentence as Lorenzo bumped into his side. Sandro turned his attention to the frail boy peering down at him. Sandro studied the boy for a moment; he seemed familiar, perhaps someone he'd seen in passing before. Sandro reached his hand down, offering assistance. "Usually, people look before they step forward," He said, still holding out his hand.
Magneto 08-Dec-20 10:27 AM
69 fuckin' loser lol 69
wow it isn't
Eagan 08-Dec-20 10:28 AM
ajax
King Scorpion II 09-Dec-20 04:20 AM
Scorpion proceeded to go on a weird and wonderful roller coaster of emotions, going from the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. Through nothing but her sheer natural charm, the pharaoh managed to convince her master to purchase the strange hoodie on her behalf! Truly, she was an absolute champion of diplomacy!
However, her acquisition of the modern fashions would soon be interrupted by some scrawny, sickly-looking kid stumbling and bumping into her vizier. God, and she thought her master was a twig. Lorenzo looked like a stiff breeze might push him into an early grave...
"Hey, don't sully my vizier with your hands, peasant! He's my property, you know!" Scorpion snapped, grabbing Lorenzo and pulling him up to his feet.
The Attacks 09-Dec-20 04:20 AM
Lorenzo Jamie 09-Dec-20 07:01 AM
Thank goodness for backpacks. Lorenzo might've seriously hurt himself if it wasn't for the one he had. That didn't stop his vision from blurring for a second, but it was a lot better than the alternative of breaking his back.
Dizzy, Lorenzo gratefully reached out to accept Sandro's hand. "Sorry, mister! I saw something really neat, and wanted to get a closer look. You're right, I'll be more careful. Honest!" As he reached out, however, Lorenzo was intercepted by Sandro's companion, who certainly looked different, even among the various aristocrats that Lorenzo had seen interact with his father.
Yet she generated vibes similar to Aetos. Strange...
"P-peasant? I'm no peasant! He's not a vizier, either!" Lorenzo protested, worried that he might tear up as Sandro's Berserker proceeded to lift him to his feet. "Thank you." He said, looking downward, before slowly looking up. Lorenzo's eyes sparkled.
"Wow! You look pretty! Are those real gemstones? Is your hair really blue? Is that tail real? What king of mystic code is that? I've never seen one so lifelike!" Lorenzo's initial fear washed away, just as the wind changes directions without hesitation.
Ajax the Great 10-Dec-20 03:17 PM
For a guardian as vigilant as Ajax, watching a child as distinct as Lorenzo was an easy task or at least that he thought before he discovered a complication. The only problem was actually moving around in this tightly packed store without knocking something over, a challenge indeed for Ajax and his herculean frame. Finding his cloak stuck on a barrel of long powder filled tubes, Ajax made a quick glance to confirm Lorenzo's position. Yet by the name he had fixed the problem, the boy was nowhere to be seen.
Having been in the chaos of battle before, Ajax calmly looked around and used his height to his advantage to check over the rest of the store. Not a sign, the boy's crafty for sure that or his captors are... Ajax thought to himself, a bit annoyed at this point as the headache came crashing back to him, yanking his eyes to look at the open rear door.
Running out the back with his great grey-blue cloak billowing around him, Ajax winced as the ache only intensified as he ran, guiding him to the most likely position of an enemy servant. And when he rounded the corner, his worries were confirmed. There holding Lorenzo was a true Amazon of a woman holding on to his charge. Aye the woman was monstrous with a tail of a scorpion and a piece of fabric so terrible that it would strike fear into any hardened soldier. The ghosts of Troy had really come back to haunt him, bearing that wretched symbol of Athena no less and endangering his master.
"Oi!" The towering man yelled as he spotted the three of them. They would come face to face with a giant of a man, taller even than Berserker and though his form was obscured by the great sheets of drapery of his cloak, there were flashes of rippling muscle and glints of metal. The latter would seem to be some large rectangular hunk of metal though it was impossible to tell what it really was. "Step away from the boy, servant. Only warning I will give so heed it well."
Sandro Moretti 12-Dec-20 04:28 AM
Sandro stayed silent as Lorenzo told Berserker the truth about their positions. True Sandro was no Vizier, but at this point, he had chosen to accept it to make things easier for his lazy self. In his own mind, he may just very well be Berserkers vizier.
Sandro didn't stay silent for long, however. As soon as Lorenzo began to point out Berserker's odd appearance, he grew wide-eyed; he couldn't have people asking questions like that to his servant. Berserker would probably state who she was, or at least who she thought she was, with zero hesitation. "Yeah, her hair is real, and she's pretty, and yes, that's a mystic code", Sandro interjected as fast as he could, he pushed Lorzenso with his hands gently trying to scootch him back. "Now how about you go find what you're looking for, it's rude to bother strangers." Sandro was trying his best to get Lorenzo to disengage from the conversation.
As Sandro was lightly pushing on Lorenzo, his attention was caught by the loud 'OI' from behind Lorenzo. He looked up to see a man clad in three thousand-year-old armor. "Fuck” He muttered under his breath, removing his hands from Lorenzo's shoulders. Stressed out from the situation, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it in his mouth and taking a deep breath. "No need to worry sir" Sandro said with a smile. "He bumped into me, and we were just making sure he was ok." Sandro had a bad feeling about the behemoth in front of him. Was this scrawny boy a master as well?
King Scorpion II 12-Dec-20 07:53 AM
The pharaoh looked down at the boy with disdain, yet her derision would soon be washed away in a wave of... compliments? Actual, genuine compliments?
Any desire to acquire her awful, tasteless hoodie would soon fall to the wayside, replaced with an desire to receive more praise for simply existing. Clearly, Lorenzo was a man of discerning taste, what with his appreciation for her beautiful looks, shiny rocks, luscious locks, and well-maintained stinger. He was certainly more of a patrician than Sandro, who only talked about her looks, rocks, locks, and stinger with mockery and derision.
"He's so smart! How precious is he, vizier? Very! Very precious! And all precious things must belong to a pharaoh, do they not? Let's keep him!" Scorpion declared, patting Lorenzo on the head as one would with an adorable puppy. "He can stay in my room, like the cats I used to have! Wouldn't that just be excellent!"
Of course, the pharaoh's delusions of grandeur would soon be shattered by a big ugly brute of a man. Who the hell did he think he was, running around with such a gross, unkempt beard!? Had he never heard of the wonders of facial hair grooming? How disgusting.
"Vizier, who is this lumbering oaf and who taught him it was okay to yell at the queen?"
The Attacks 12-Dec-20 07:53 AM
Lorenzo Jamie 12-Dec-20 09:37 AM
Sandro's comment caused the boy to buzz with excitement even more, meaning that Lorenzo was threatening to reach maximum buzzitude. Any more excitement would most likely cause him to break apart at the seams.
"That's so cool, miss! How was it made? I couldn't even fathom how to make it so lifelike without some obvious enchantment, but there's nothing there to detect. It's a work of art! It's not my field of expertise, but I can't wait to tell fath—" Loud footsteps could be heard as Lancer rumbled over, his footsteps clanking against pavement. The young boy gulped, he hadn't expected to get sidetracked. He turned around and shook his head frantically. Next to Lancer, Lorenzo looked positively miniscule.
"No no, it's okay Aetos! I bumped into them and got carried away. Sorry, I didn't mean to slip away." Lorenzo said quickly, flowing over the words in a way that would make an auctioneer green with envy.
Grabbing Lancer's hand, he gestured towards Berserker. "Look, she looks so different compared to everyone else around here. Dull browns and grays, she's a splash of color!"
Ajax the Great 12-Dec-20 01:46 PM
The giant of a man watched with satisfaction as his appearance had sent Lorenzo's captors into chaos. A successful surprise attack meant well for any accompanying engagement. Given the words of the opposing servant, the likelihood of conflict was rapidly increasing.
"And I am glad to see you in such high spirits, even as this kidnapper and her thrall sought to ensorcell you with her ancient magicks. Rest assured I will make them pay dearly for their transgressions. Now just stay behind me and I will handle the enemy servant," Ajax said with a coating of politeness and decorum over the turbulent mind within before pulling the small frame of Lorenzo behind his own.
Tossing aside his massive cape with minimal effort, Ajax would reveal the exact shape of his form and the mountain of a man that he really was. His arms were like great trunks of flesh that rippled with waves upon waves of muscle. However, Sandro's assumption would fall partially short of the mark as the gauntlets on his arms and the breastplate on his chest were simultaneously ancient and modern in design, lending a certain timelessness to his character. Curiously, the only weapon he carried was a similarly styled shield that in size seemed to hold much in common with a blast door.
"I am sorry but there is little respect I can give to one who would hold my master as mere property. A Greek like myself would hardly submit to one of the tyrants of the Nile. Never would we be so foolhardy to claim ourselves as gods or die in her chains. Now go and slink back into the sands, witch, and endure the stains I spit onto your honor as is the coward's way for a beast such as yourself. Or if there is some man within you, fight me and retake your honor and try to steal my master away a second time," he would say with what seemed like an uncharacteristic venom to Lorenzo. Just what did Ajax have against kings and this mystery woman?
Magneto 12-Dec-20 02:15 PM
Nile? More like it'll be a while before either of you kills each other <img alt="🤣" class="emoji" src="https://twemoji.maxcdn.com/2/72x72/1f923.png" title="🤣"/><img alt="🤣" class="emoji" src="https://twemoji.maxcdn.com/2/72x72/1f923.png" title="🤣"/><img alt="🤣" class="emoji" src="https://twemoji.maxcdn.com/2/72x72/1f923.png" title="🤣"/>
Ajax Alter (Lily) 12-Dec-20 02:16 PM
Watch it, chief. I'll bite your arm off!
Sandro Moretti 13-Dec-20 04:55 AM
Sandro looked back and forth between Berserker and Lancer, his face growing pale from the amount of confusion and stress he was feeling. Berserker wanted to keep the boy as a pet, Lorenzo wished to feed the Queen's ego, and Lancer wanted to fight.
"J-just wait a second now" Sandro said, stepping behind his servant. "She was just joking; she has a strange sense of humor. Now I'm sure we can talk this over, there's better places to do this." Sandro tried to defuse the situation, albeit a weak attempt. In the end, he knew that no matter what he said, the outcome would come down to his servant. He knew her Kingly sense of pride wouldn't allow her to be talked down to. Sandro could do nothing but try and then wait for the consequences of Berserker's actions.
King Scorpion II 14-Dec-20 07:11 AM
The stinky giant not only had the gall to insult the pharaoh, but also seemed intent on starting a fight. Cruising for a bruising, so to speak. The nerve of him! Scorpion stared at the Lancer, rage burning in her eyes as her tail began to quake from her pure, unrelenting anger...
"Well, FINE! If the boy is stupid enough to hang around a stupid, rude, ugly brute like you, then perhaps his tastes aren't as great as I'd first thought!" The queen hissed, jabbing an accusatory finger towards Ajax. "Come, vizier! I tire of shopping in the markets with the unwashed and uneducated masses!"
With that, the Scorpion Queen proceeded to forcibly grab Sandro, dragging him and the rest of her spoils away from Lorenzo and his Lancer. An oddly anticlimactic turn of events, but at least the bananas had remained intact...
Eagan 14-Dec-20 10:36 AM
Lorenzo Jamie 14-Dec-20 03:09 PM
"Wait, no! He's not—" Lorenzo coughed weakly as Berserker and her Master fled, leaving Lorenzo and Lancer alone in the street. Breathing heavily, he poked his head past his Lancer, before looking up at him. Nile? Greek? Words like these barely came up, anymore. They echoed dully throughout the young man's consciousness, barely remembered among magecraft theories and happy memories. They were never considered required for a mage like himself.
"Nile... Nile... That's a river from the Old World, right? Does that mean she was a Servant, Aetos?" Lorenzo asked sadly as the last bit of scorpion tail turned a corner. "So it wasn't a Mystic Code after all..." Lorenzo mumbled sadly.
"If they were another Servant, then you have to fight them. She was so nice, though. In an overbearing, possessive way, anyways. I wonder if we'll ever get to meet them again." He pondered, casually skirting over the part where Berserker attempted to claim him as her own. Mages were weird, Lorenzo even moreso, the strangeness of the situation never crossed his mind.
Lancer still seemed agitated, so his Master looked up at him somberly. "What did she do to you, Aetos? You're always so kind, but you haven't acted up like this since then." They both knew what he was referring to—the summon.