[ text ]

[regalbearing]

The machine I'm using doesn't appear to be broken, so it appears I should look for another reason to why I can't clear this community. Is this a common occurrence for it? In any case, it doesn't reflect well on the community itself.

If any of the members here could offer advice, I would appreciate it. Reading past entries only helps so much.

[ read: because this community is annoying and makes absolutely no sense. ]

Comments

1/oops idk

[croibhristeoir]

It is complicated, I'm afraid. The simplest manner in which I can describe it is that this is a possibly-sentient community which spans timelines as well as parallel worlds-

[oceanicbutterfly]

It's a common occurrence for the community, though not for the machine. You're stuck with us, for now at least.

[croibhristeoir]

[wait a goddamn minute who is this message coming from...]

[croibhristeoir]

[...No way. That was surely impossible, right? Lancer almost didn't realize the sudden interruption of thought had caused his pen to stop cold in his hand, message cut off without any indication.]

[regalbearing]

I feared that might be the case. Is there no way to at least allow the machine to function normally?

4/5

[croibhristeoir]

[Was it really possible she could have appeared here, after all this time? The one person Lancer wished to truly apologize to over all that had transpired?]

[It was a stroke of fortune he could not have even begun to imagine, selfish as that thought may have been.]

[oceanicbutterfly]

Just establishing your intent to join and post regularly is usually enough. This is how it expands its membership, you see.

[video]

[croibhristeoir]

[He quickly took off the glasses he'd taken to wearing with ordinary clothes, switching to video. There was only one way to truly confirm this.]

S-Saber? Is that truly...

[regalbearing]

That doesn't speak well for its integrity if it must resort to coercion.

[oceanicbutterfly]

I'd never tell such an implausible lie as claiming this community had integrity. The best thing I can say about it is that it rarely causes any permanent harm.

[ also video ]

[regalbearing]

[ at first she's merely confused by the sudden pause in the text, but the image soon clears up that mystery. honestly, she's also surprised - she hadn't expected to find anyone else she knew, much less another Servant. and even if she and Lancer hold each other in esteem, she's confused by his reaction. either way, it does not take her too long to find her own video feed, thinking it more polite to match the other, and also the fastest way to answer his question. ]

Lancer? I did not realise you were also here. [ pause. ] Are you alright? You seem shocked.

[regalbearing]

Then what exactly does it cause?

[croibhristeoir]

I...forgive me if I am startled, but it-

['It's been much too long.' Maybe that was lacking in subtlety, crossing one or several boundaries. Best to determine a few vital matters first.]

This is going to seem a strange question, but when was the last time we saw each other?

[oceanicbutterfly]

Practically anything, for periods of two to four days.

[anothersoul]

Welcome to the community. It may seem like an annoyance but it's filled with good people. Apart from the ocassional disturbance, it can even be quite interesting.

Are you a friend of Lancer-san's?

[regalbearing]

[ she frowns, confused. ] Not long ago at all. It can't have been more than a day since you helped me repel Caster at the Einzbern castle.

... Are you implying that that isn't the case for you?

[regalbearing]

... If you are serious, then this community must have great power in sorcery, or something similar. Could you elaborate?

[croibhristeoir]

Before I continue, allow me to finish my previous explanation.

The simplest manner in which I can describe it is that this is a possibly-sentient community which spans timelines as well as parallel worlds. One can call it a complex application of Second Magic, in a sense. While the Lancer you encountered then and the one you speak to now are the same person, it is more accurate to say we are separate individuals in separate realities.

In shorter terms, the fourth war has been over for me for several months.

[regalbearing]

Thank you for your welcome. I would have preferred to join voluntarily if at all, but I suppose the circumstances can't be helped.

He is someone I hold in some esteem, yes. Would I be right to assume the same holds true for you?

[oceanicbutterfly]

I don't know about sorcery, but it definitely has great power in something. I've been turned into a man, paired romantically with nearly everyone I know, reverted to childhood, made to fight dinosaurs, sent to Oregon in a covered wagon, and kidnapped by an evil duplivate of myself, among other things.

[anothersoul]

Yes. He's taught me some of what he knows. I admit my skills at fighting probably will never match his but I'm not so proud to decline the chance. [Mami takes a minute to read the thread between Saber and Lancer.] If you will allow me to make an assumption, you must be as skilled as him.

It's an honor to meet you. I'm Tomoe.

[regalbearing]

[ ... she can't decide if she's being taken for a fool or not, but her instincts tell her no. ]

... I feel as if I should ask if you are quite sane, but I also sense you're telling the truth. How is any of this possible?

[oceanicbutterfly]

I'd say "you'll be the first to know when I find out," but I've already said that to someone else, so you'll have to settle for second.

[regalbearing]

[ she listens attentively. his explanation, while raising more questions for her, does make sense when put into the context of the Second Magic. but then-- she cannot help the faint grip of fear around her heart when he says the war has been over for him. if the war is over, and Lancer himself survived - does that mean she failed?

she's careful to try not to let that show on her face. it would be an insult to him to show concern for that when he's trying to help her understand. ]

So, the timelines we exist in are different... [ it's only logical to ask. ] Then, you survived to the end?

[croibhristeoir]

...Yes and no. Had it not been for the intervention of those I have only been able to meet through this community, I would have died.

It is...a complicated matter. One I owe no small amount of apologies for.