#thy is like you right... because like prepare thyself. yeah

[biogarfield]

I think the only thing stopping me from writing unbecoming RN is I can't remember how thy/thee/thine etc works and that's Illumina's thing and I can't just make him not talk like that it would be weird

[440mxs-wife]

Sweet Nothings

Pairing: Gabriel x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of cheating, implied violence

Word Count: 3876 or so

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Oh, come on, you have to go out with us! I'll just bet that you haven't left the house except for work since you broke up with Connor. That's not healthy, and you know it!" scolded your best friend/sister Ruthie.

You let out an exasperated sigh. "All right, all right, I'll go out with you girls. When is it again?" you relented.

"This Saturday night, 8:00 p.m., Bluestone Bar on 7th Avenue and 8th Street. I can pick you up if you want," she offered.

"Yeah, that sounds good. See you Saturday," you said as you hung up the phone.

The rest of your work week passed pretty closed to normal, or what passes for normal as a high school English teacher. You had term papers to grade and lesson plans to prepare, but nothing too major. On Wednesday, you had a meeting with the principal. He asked you to take over for the drama teacher in putting together the annual variety show.

You knew it would be a lot of work, but you agreed. You loved the opportunity for your students to shine as they show off their hidden talents. As soon as you left his office, you did the funkiest happy dance anyone had ever seen. You definitely had reason to celebrate on Saturday.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Okay, chickies, first round is on me!" you exclaimed. Your friends, Ruthie, Charlie, Donna and Jody, all picked a chair after giving you their drink orders.

"I don't believe it! Just this past Monday, I thought I was going to have to threaten to kidnap you in order to get you to leave the house. Now you're all cheerful and ready to party? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?!?" Ruthie joked.

"Ha ha, very funny, Sis," you retorted playfully. "What can I say, I had a pretty good week. AND, the principal asked me to cover for the drama teacher and run the Variety Show. So, excuse me, but I feel like I have reason to celebrate!" you finished.

You left the table to put in your drink order, laughing and trading jabs with your girlfriends as you walked backwards. You didn't see the man before you bumped into him, and almost caused both of you to fall. When you turned around, you were met by the warmest pair of whiskey-colored eyes you'd ever encountered. His mouth was turned upward in a playful smirk as his strong, capable hands kept you from taking you both down.

"Hey hey! Looks like you got a live one, Gabe, and we haven't even had a drink yet!" one of his friends remarked as they set off to find a table.

Ignoring his buddies, Gabriel turned you around to face him. "Are you all right?" he asked. His hands were on your upper arms as he bent down to look into your eyes.

"Y-yes, I-I think so. I think I'd better watch where I'm going next time. S-sorry for almost knocking you over," you stammered as you introduced yourself.

"Believe me, Cupcake, it's always a pleasure bumping into a beautiful woman every now and then," Gabriel quipped. "Name's Gabriel."

You ducked your head to hide the rising color in your cheeks. "Thank you, Gabriel. Always a pleasure being rescued by a true gentleman," you replied with a small curtsy. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I promised my girlfriends"-you turned and waved at your table-"that the first round of drinks is on me. I was on my way to place my order when I quite literally ran into you," you giggled.

"Then I shall impede your progress no longer, milady," he grinned as he bowed gracefully. "Please continue on thy mission to procure sufficient alcoholic libations for thyself and thy lovely contingent of lady friends," Gabriel finished.

You had to chuckle at his exaggerated performance. "I appreciate your kindness, good sir. Perhaps we'll meet again under less, shall we say, ‘injurious’ circumstances?" you replied with a wry smile.

"No harm done, fair lady. Till we meet again," Gabriel said softly. He kissed the back of your hand, then left you to join his friends at their table.

As soon as Gabriel left, Ruthie was at your side in an instant. "What was that all about?" she demanded. "You sure were talking to him for a long time, he was HOT! Did you at least get his phone number?" she asked.

You stared off in the distance, watching Gabe take a seat with his friends. When he caught your eye, he winked and gave you a little wave, breaking the trance. "Hmm? Sorry, what did you say?" you asked.

Ruthie groaned in frustration. "Ugh! Never mind, let's just order our drinks and get this party started!" she declared.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So, Gabe, who was that woman we saw you talking to earlier? You know her or something?" Sam asked.

Gabe shook his head. "Nope, just met her here, tonight," he answered.

"She's pretty, and she's got good-looking friends," Dean remarked. "I wonder, if I told her that she had a beautiful body, if she'd hold it against me," he smirked, giving a high-five to Castiel.

Gabriel shot Dean a look that told him to back off. "Careful, Dean, your inner caveman is showing. You'd better reel it in if you expect to have any kind of chance with one of her friends," he retorted. She’s mine, he thought to himself.

He sat back in his chair and thought about his brief but enchanting encounter with you. Lovely eyes, so expressive, he thought. Definite sense of humor, stunning smile, and a gorgeous body with curves in all the right places. Gabriel assured himself that he liked what he'd seen so far with you, and that he couldn't wait to know more.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A couple of hours later, you were still sipping on your second drink, while your girlfriends were on either their third or even fourth rounds. Some of the guys from Gabriel's table had filtered over to yours, and had asked your friends to dance.

Donna was dancing with Dean, Ruthie was dancing with Sam, and Castiel was with Jody. Charlie was finishing her third cocktail, when a woman from another table named Gilda asked her to dance. Charlie grabbed Gilda's hand and practically ran all the way over to the dance floor.

You were staring at your glass, wondering whether or not you should order another drink. You could go home, having fulfilled your promise to Ruthie by joining the girls for a night out. Too bad they had all left you behind to go dance with Gabriel's friends.

"This is stupid," you muttered under your breath. "I'm going home. They're all having too much fun to miss me anyway," you murmured.

"I'll miss you if you go home now," a deep and honeyed voice remarked with a grin. You looked up and smiled to see Gabriel taking the seat across from you. He reached over and took your hand in his, gently brushing his lips across the back of it. "Hi."

"Hi, Gabriel," you returned shyly. "Nice to see you again. Why aren't you out dancing with the others?" you asked.

"Because my dance partner is right here, debating on whether she should stay or go home," he replied. He stood up with his other hand held out for you to take. "What do you say, Sugar?"

All you could hear from the dance floor was a thumping beat in a song that you didn't recognize. For this reason, you almost decided not to take Gabriel up on his offer. But, you also still had a little bit of liquid courage in you, so you found yourself taking his hand. As you threaded your way to the dance floor, Gabriel's hand left yours and slid to the small of your back to guide you.

Just as you set foot on the dance floor, the song with the thumping bass ended, and a slow song came on. Courage evaporated, you tried to pull away from Gabriel and leave the dance floor, but his hand was locked on yours. "Ah-ah-ah," he said, wagging his finger back and forth at you. "No, no Baby Girl, I've got you. Dance with me, sweetheart. Please," he implored, reaching for your hands.

One look in his honey-colored eyes and you were lost. You nodded and stepped close enough to Gabe so that he could slip his right arm around your waist and draw you nearer to him. He placed your left hand on his chest, while his left hand settled on your hip. Your right hand slipped up to cradle his neck, your fingers slowly venturing into the ends of his light chestnut hair at his collar.

"Mmm, careful there, SweetCheeks. You're venturing into dangerous territory with what you're doing," Gabe softly warned. "Might lead a man to do something like this," he whispered. He dipped his head down to capture your lips in a tender, sweet kiss.

When you broke apart from the kiss, you were both trying to catch a breath. "I'll take it under advisement, you know, future reference and all that," you remarked. With the hand that had been so recently been running through his hair, you gently tugged him forward for another, deeper kiss.

The need for air caused you and Gabriel to momentarily pause in your kissing. You touched your forehead to his and grinned. "Wanna get out of here?" you asked. "You could walk me home. It's not that far. Maybe we could hang out on the porch for awhile. I-I don't really want the evening to end quite yet," you added shyly.

"Sounds okay to me, lead the way, darlin'," Gabriel took your hand in his, intertwining your fingers as you stepped out into the warm night air.

Neither of you noticed that Connor, your ex-boyfriend, was sitting at a corner table. He gripped his beer bottle tightly, glaring as you and Gabriel danced, then left the bar. You broke up with him over another woman, but he wasn't with her anymore. He had decided that maybe he wanted you back, and then he saw you dancing with someone else. Connor was determined that you would be together with him again, and he wasn't going to let anyone stand in his way.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You and Gabriel walked around the city, stopping in the park for awhile. You sat on a bench near the fountain in the middle of the park, talking and getting to know each other better. You told him you were a high school English teacher, while Gabe shared that he was a sales manager for a major candy company. Even though Ruthie was like your sister, you grew up an only child, whereas Gabriel had four brothers.

Soon, you and Gabriel arrived at your house. You lived in a well-kept, 3 bedroom carpenter-style house with blue siding and a spacious front porch. Still holding Gabriel's hand, you reluctantly climbed the steps, not wanting the evening to end.

At the top of the stairs, Gabriel drew you into his arms. "Well, pretty girl, I'd have to say that this has been one of the best evenings I've had in a long time. I met someone that I'd really like to see again, I danced with her, and I got to do this," Gabe remarked. He reached up to cup your cheeks and captured your lips with his.

You admitted to Gabe that tonight was the first time you'd gone out for fun since breaking up with your boyfriend, Connor. "I really should call Ruthie in the morning and thank her for this. If she hadn't pestered me about going out tonight, I never would've met you. I'm so very glad I did, because I'm having a wonderful time with you," you remarked shyly.

"Aw, Cupcake, that's not fair. You made me blush, and guys aren't supposed to do that," he teased. "For the record, though, I should probably call Ruthie and thank her as well. I hope that this is but one of many opportunities I'll have to go out with you," he added.

He hooked one arm around your waist and held fast to your hand as he guided you over to the swing. Once you were both seated, Gabe pushed off with his foot to gently rock you both back and forth.

"About that, about going out I mean? If I consulted my Magic 8-Ball, it might say something like....'concentrate and ask again'," you replied with a wry grin.

Already holding your right hand, Gabriel captured your left hand. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly kissed each fingertip one by one. "So, I was wondering....if you're not busy next Friday night....would you like to go out with me?" he asked.

You took a deep, shuddering breath before answering. "Yes, definitely. You may rely on it. Without a doubt. Signs point to yes," you rambled.

Gabriel chuckled. "Well, as long as you're sure, SweetCheeks. I'm looking forward to it," he replied softly. His left index finger traced along your jawline, turning you so that you were directly facing him. He closed the gap between you by pressing his lips to yours in a lingering kiss.

"You know, I should get your phone number, just in case. Here," you said as you handed Gabe your phone. He typed in his contact information and gave you his phone to do the same.

"As much as I would love to stay, Cupcake, I left my car back at the bar, and I should go back and get it. But don't worry, I'll be back to pick you up for our date," he promised. Gabriel stood up from the porch  swing, pulling you with him. "Friday night, seven o'clock," he said   softly, his finger tapping the end of your nose. He dropped another kiss to your lips  before descending from the porch.

"Mmm, Friday night, seven o'clock," you replied dreamily. "Get home safe, Gabe," you said.

Gabriel  turned to look back at you standing on the porch, watching him walk  away. He winked, gave you a mock salute, then blew you a kiss. "See you  Friday, Sugar," he called.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From your front porch, you watched as Gabe walked down the street until you couldn't see him anymore. Your phone rang in your pocket, with the Caller ID showing it was Ruthie. She wanted to know where you had gone, so you explained how you and Gabriel left the bar after the dance.

"He walked me home, then the two of us sat on the porch swing for a little while. We talked, and kissed...." you mentioned, a wide grin on your face.

Ruthie could hardly contain her squeal of delight. "See? What did I tell you? I told you that going out with us was way better than staying home!" she remarked.

"Yes, Ruthie, you were right. Happy now?" you retorted playfully. "Getting a little sleepy, so I'm gonna say goodnight, Sis. Talk to you later," you replied. She wished you goodnight as well, then you disconnected the call.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Leo Webb locked up the Bluestone Bar after finishing his closing duties. As he was walking out to his car, he heard someone groaning in pain. He was shocked to see a man sitting on the ground and propped up beside what had to be his own car. Leo recognized him as Gabriel, the guy you were dancing with and had left the bar with tonight. "Hey, Buddy, are you all right?" he asked Gabe while, looking around.

Gabriel turned his head to the sound of Leo's voice. "Did you happen get the license plate of the truck that ran me over?" he asked weakly. Gabriel had a cut above his eye with the blood trail mingling with the one from his bloody nose. His knuckles were scuffed up, leading Leo to believe that maybe he got in a few defensive jabs. Gabriel tried to stand up by himself, but was unsuccessful in his first attempt.

"Come on, man, let's get you standing up. Then we can get you some medical attention," Leo said, grunting as he helped Gabriel to his feet.

Gabriel mumbled that he wanted to be taken back to your house. He couldn't tend to his injuries alone, and he knew they weren't serious enough for the hospital. Leo reluctantly agreed and carefully laid Gabriel across the backseat.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You awoke to the sound of someone pounding on your front door. It was unusual for you to have visitors at 2:30 a.m., so you grabbed your baseball bat that rested next to your dresser. In a voice that was much braver than you actually felt, you demanded, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"It's me, Leo, the bartender from Bluestone Bar. I have your dance partner from tonight, and I think he's going to need your help getting put back together," he explained.

You set aside the baseball bat, disengaged the locks and threw open the front door. Standing on your porch was indeed Leo from the bar, his left arm supporting Gabriel. You gasped in shock at seeing Gabe's injured face and hands, and at how difficult it was for him to stand on his own. You rushed out to the front porch and went to Gabriel's right side to take his other arm.

Between you and Leo, you managed to get Gabriel into the house and seated on the couch. Leo told you to sit with your patient while he looked for your first aid supplies. He returned with bandages, peroxide and a basin of warm water with a washcloth. "In the morning, I'm going to check the bar's security camera footage," Leo declared. Before he left, he pointed at you and asked, "You good?"

You nodded. "I'm fine, Leo. Thanks for taking care of my dance partner," you replied with a quick smile. You continued working to clean up Gabriel's wounds as you heard the front door close behind Leo.

"Hiya, SweetCheeks," Gabe mumbled and gave you a weak smile.

"Shh, shh. Gabe honey, just relax and I'll get you patched up in no time," you soothed. "Want to tell me what happened, love? What do you remember?" you asked. Gabriel hissed in pain as you cleaned up his knuckles with the peroxide. "Sorry, I know this hurts," you murmured.

Gabriel explained that he got back to the bar about 20 minutes after leaving your house. "I was getting in to my car when this brick wall of a guy grabbed my arm. He punched me a couple of times in the face. Then he started talking about how he saw us dancing and that it made him angry. I told him that he should get his own dance partner, that you were with me. That earned me a punch in the stomach," Gabe finished.

You stopped what you were doing and pinched the bridge of your nose with your thumb and forefinger. "What's wrong, Cupcake?" Gabriel asked, taking your hands in his.

"I think I know who did this to you. My ex-boyfriend, Connor, must have been in the bar and saw us together. I'm so sorry, Gabriel that he hurt you," you said softly, tears shining in your eyes.

"Hey now, it's not your fault, Baby Girl, none of this is," he assured you. Wanting to know more, Gabe asked, "So, what happened with you and Connor?"

You swallowed a sob before you continued. "He and I broke up about six months ago. Found out he was cheating on me, but somehow the blame for that was on me," you muttered. "Connor and I were together for about three years. But it was during the last six months of those three years that we didn't....you know....," you trailed off. "Guess he went and found someone new to fill that need.

"I've been so busy with my regular workload lately. Now it's only going to get worse, because I'm in charge of the school's Variety Show," you continued. "You should probably run for the hills far away from me, Gabriel. I mean, psycho ex-boyfriend and workaholic doesn't exactly scream 'stable relationship material'," you finished.

"Pfft! Are you kidding me?" he scoffed. "Last night was about the best date--no--it was THE best date I've been on in years," Gabriel declared. He squeezed your hands as firmly as his wounds would allow. "Honeybun, I don't know what it is about you, but I already feel like I've known you my whole life. We have the same sense of humor. It's cheesy, but it works for us," he explained.

You giggled. "And at least we have a cute story to tell people about how we met," you pointed out, to which he nodded.

"Dancing with you in my arms was like...coming home. When we were out there on your porch swing, I felt like I'd spent every summer night for years doing that with you. And kissing you is an otherworldly experience, Sugar. Connor didn't know what a great thing he had with you when he betrayed your trust," Gabe said, softly stroking your cheek with his index finger.

"I guess in a way, I should be grateful about what happened between Connor and me, because it put me on the path that led to you. Gabe, I love that I can be myself when I'm with you, that I feel comfortable around you. It's like we've already been together for years, even though I know we've only just met tonight. You came along at just the right time in my life," you told him.

"One question, though. Can I kiss you?" you asked softly. "I promise not to cause further damage," you remarked.

Gabriel chuckled quietly. "Of course you can, Cupcake," he replied. You reached up to gently cradle his face in your hand and slowly draw him towards you to close the gap. Your lips met in a tentative kiss, because you were trying desperately not to hurt Gabe. You let him take the lead, and as your mouths moved with each other, the kisses grew more insistent, driven by desire.

"Whoa," you whispered, trying to catch your breath. "Gabe, that was amazing," you remarked.

"Not so bad yourself, sweetheart," he replied, also trying to catch his breath. "By the way, I'm so glad I have such a lovely nurse taking very good care of me. I think I'll need to be on bed rest for a while, though, and I would love to do that here," he suggested, waggling his eyebrows.

You tapped your index finger on your lips as if deep in thought. "Well, that depends. Do you think the best medicine is eggs and bacon, or pancakes and sausage?" you grinned.

"Let's decide in the morning, Honeybun. Wait and see what we're hungry for," he replied seductively before capturing your lips in a heated kiss.

"Hmm. Maybe if you're a good boy, I'll even set you up with a sponge bath, courtesy of yours truly," you grinned slyly.

Gabriel's eyes nearly went back into his head with bliss at the prospect of a personalized sponge bath. "Aw, Cupcake, you say the sweetest things," he replied.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tag(s): @wayward-mikaelson​

[chaldeluxe]

Remembrance of Scorched Earth ____________

// FLASHBACK CAMPFIRE SCENE. //

Vlad III:  What’s the matter? Can you not sleep, my friend? 

Vlad III: I told you to leave tonight’s watch to me. You’ve a body that needs sleep. It’s better to rest in preparation for the ‘morrow. 

Vlad III: Hm… ? You wish to hear a tale of my time before I became a Heroic Spirit? … I’ll permit it despite how whimsical you are.

Vlad III: I haven’t a single anecdote to recite about myself. Nor any boastful stories to tell. 

Vlad III: In order to purge those who carried out their own injustice, I donned this armor and became a beast that committed those very same atrocities. 

Vlad III: You won’t find a trace of Vlad III the sovereign in me. As I stand before you now, I am both a warrior and a voyvoda. 

Vlad III: I formed a contract with you as a Heroic Spirit simply because I could sense something smelled of sin. 

Vlad III: Your battle is one that walks with justice. There-under, I can’t allow my spear to waver even in the slightest. 

Vlad III: No principles, no ideals. Just this skewering tool of mine. That’s all there is to speak of me.

Vlad III: …. no. That’s right. I can recall one reason of mine.

Vlad III: A strange vision comes to my mind. Perhaps it’s the fault of this slowly dwindling bonfire. 

Vlad III: Unlike the Heroic Spirits, I have no need of a second wish. Even why I fight beyond death is still unclear to me.

Vlad III: I lost sight of the Lord’s mercy. What I once thought, wasn’t, and what I was had all been forsaken.

Vlad III: From my vassals and their retainers’ virtuous souls to my other half, my love who plunged herself from the tower.

Vlad III: I never doubted the grace of God’s love. However, I never imagined to bear witness to it ever again.

Vlad III: …. however. I witnessed a dream. 

Vlad III: Hahahah. Even a Servant can dream, you know? Though our dreams are merely adaptations of “incidents that occurred in our lifetime”.

Vlad III: … however. This was different. No matter how improbable it may be, I dreamt of an event that “didn’t occur in my lifetime”. 

Vlad III: … I dreamt of a lone woman. A woman so thin and deranged, she appeared as if at death’s door.

Vlad III: That woman’s beloved child was stillborn, and it was then that her heart and mind shattered.

Vlad III: She submerged herself in contradiction by refusing to eat out of despair, by only being able to consume that which she truly loved. 

Vlad III: … it goes without saying that she was banished from society. She was then left with naught but to embrace her heresy.

Vlad III: People perish without sustenance.

Vlad III: Killing and consuming others was simply one of the laws of nature. It’s likely that woman managed to deceive herself so.

Vlad III: But until the day of her death, she’d never known the taste of such love.)

Vlad III: … she valued those convictions over her own life. 

Vlad III: … it’s quite the strange tale. It was almost as if I’d caught a glance of the true love I’d lost in her form.

Vlad III: For if such a woman were to exist – I felt I would gladly let hell-fire scorch me once more.

// SCENE CHANGE TO THE PRESENT. //

Vlad III: Nnhn! 

Vlad III: Such hideous undead! Though dead, they yet yearn to eat the flesh of the living!

Vlad III: Sinners who left your prayers behind and for whom no one prays anymore! I won’t tell you to repent!  You’ll simply become prey to my spear instead!

Dr. Roman: Amazing. It’s just a storm of violence over there! His spear isn’t the only deadly thing about him. That armor’s pretty wicked too!

Dr. Roman: He’s like a hedgehog that caught on fire. No, wait, more like a rotating guillotine. Or a human mortar.

[CHOICE]

1. Like black paint dripped on a canvas? 2. Like a snowplowing train?    

Dr. Roman: Yup, yup! It feels like he’s racing straight through, no questions asked!

Mashu: Doctor, Master! That’s enough carefree metaphors! 

Mashu: Please stand back, Lord Vlad! The enemy readings are well over a hundred! We’ll have to withdraw at the next opportunity!

Vlad III: Heh. What are you saying, shield-maiden? You speak as if even a hundred men are enough to bring me down.

Vlad III: At worst a single spear might bore through my entrails and a hundred arrowheads might burrow into this body of mine.

Vlad III: Trifling. How truly trifling. Even a pick-me-up drink would hit harder.

// VLAD GETS ATTACKED. //

Vlad III: Ghh, nnnh – !

[CHOICE]

1. Lord Vlad… ! 2. Lancer… !

Vlad III: Phew, an outstanding blow! My eyes are wide open now! Allow me to return the favor and run my pike through your crotch up your skull!

Monster: FIGIIIIIIIIII

Mashu: ------

Vlad III: What’s the matter? Was this the only one among you with an ounce of courage? Are there none who dare take me on in a duel? 

Vlad III: Then there’s naught left but for me to mow you all down. Though undead, you indeed gave my spear a hard time.

Vlad III: Know that literally, no piece of bone shall remain!

Dr. Roman: Hmmmm, so this is the famed Lord of Impalement. Vlad Tepes was Wallachia’s demonic defender of the state. Once he repelled an army of 100,000 with a mere force of 10,000 men.

Dr. Roman: And it’s not like that story is hard to believe or so. Especially not with these first-row seats.

Dr. Roman: Right now, it’s do-or-die! If you fail to find means to escape, you’re bound to get annihilated!

Dr. Roman: As long as Lord Vlad is alive, there’s no way you can lose here!)

Mashu: This isn’t the time for idol worship! Master, your orders! I’m going in to backup Lord Vlad!

// FIGHT WITH SKELETONS & SHADOW HERACLES. //

Vlad III: They’ve been disposed of. Are you well, my friend?

[CHOICE]

1. Of course. 2. Are you okay, Lord Vlad?

Vlad III: Naturally. As if I could allow myself to offer you such an unseemly sight, my friend. Though that final enemy was tougher than I expected.

Vlad III: However… there’s something vexing about this town.

Vlad III: Though this place was certainly once the stage for a Holy Grail War… did that very same war truly exude this amount of corruption? 

Vlad III: This horrid landscape doesn’t suit this world. Some other catastrophe must’ve brought forth/led to this horrific calamity.

Dr. Roman: Well… I was pretty much wondering that myself. That maybe this is what it’s like when the grail goes totally out of control or something…

Dr. Roman: Actually, since Fuyuki’s Greater Grail had such a superb Magic Core, it’s highly likely that a worst-case scenario occurred here only to blow everything away.

Dr. Roman: But for everything to keep burning on forever like this… it doesn’t really make sense…

Mashu: … did you have any other unanswered questions? Did you notice something unusual and wish to investigate, Lord Vlad? 

Vlad III: I wasn’t carrying out my own investigation, no – I haven’t the means to do such a thing. The corruption that this singularity carries simply left me concerned. 

Vlad III: Something lurks here. A something that I absolutely abhor. I wish to discover the source and destroy it before – 

Dr. Roman: Sorry. We’re totally out of time.  And we’ve already retrieved the grail in that singularity.

Dr. Roman: We can’t just loiter about all we want. The surplus of mana circulating from Shiva is about to run out, too. 

Dr. Roman: I know this’ll feel like an unfinished job for you, but…  do you think we can head on back now?

Vlad III: Pay it no mind, man they call Roman.

Vlad III: While that cowardice is rather unseemly, your daily efforts in undertaking modest tasks haven’t gone unnoticed by me.

Vlad III: Honestly - if only most people displayed diligence like yours. But such is life,unfortunately humans aren’t this simple.

// RAYSHIFT HOME. //

Dr. Roman: Welcome back, Gudako-chan. Lord Vlad is… yeah, it seems he’s back on standby.

Dr. Roman: But, man. I can’t say that’s the sort of Servant I thought you’d ever thrust straight into the middle of our Fuyuki problem.

Dr. Roman: While investigation of the Fuyuki singularity was our focus this time, we’ve got to start prioritizing our efforts towards the next one.

Dr. Roman: It’s finally time for the Seventh Singularity, the ancient time of Uruk.  All of our staff are coming together to carefully investigate the….

Dr. Roman: Oh. What’re you thinking, Gudako-chan? I might be able to offer some advice.

[CHOICE]

1. … I don’t really get Lord Vlad’s reason for fighting…   2. I feel like you’ve explained this before, but…

Dr. Roman: … hmm. The kind of dreams that Servants have, huh.

Dr. Roman: They might be battle records carved into his soul from his time as a Heroic Spirit.

Dr. Roman: That doesn’t necessarily make this a sad story, though. “I felt I would gladly let hell-fire scorch me once more.” —

Dr. Roman: He doesn’t mean he “wishes to suffer once more”. What he’s trying to say is, “I wish to search for that light once more”.

Dr. Roman: Even if he were to die failing to kill his adversary, he still wouldn’t have chosen to take the brilliance he saw in that woman’s ways down with him. 

Dr. Roman: He’s not doing something like that for the sake of his honor or just because it’s a personal resolve.

Dr. Roman: To put it simply, “thou shalt love thyself as thy neighbor.” 

Dr. Roman: He’s always been a firm believer in the inherent good of human souls. Between now and back then, he really hasn’t changed.