on the mun wanting to honor her birthday tradition next month

[theladylazarus]

They aren't "plans" plans? You mean you have no plans.

I can brood--well, I'm too cute to brood, but I can be all mopey without you having to make anything worse. Trust me, it's covered.

Comments

[andthesun]

You shouldn't brood brood. It should come naturally. [ Like him. Even without trying to, Karna's already brood-y. ]

[theladylazarus]

Oh it does. I can mope with the best of them. Which is exactly why things don't need to get worse if she wants an excuse for me to do it.

[andthesun]

[ Karna is loading... ]

Are you mad that she doesn't have any plans? For...whatever it was she was planning to do? [ He thought really hard about it. ] Mm, for your birthday?

[theladylazarus]

Just trying to be discouraging. I'm mad that she plans to have plans. My birthdays don't tend to go well, when people make plans for them.

[ She crosses her arms, wearing a slight pout. ]

[andthesun]

Ah. [ He gets it now. ] I can see why it can be troublesome. I do not think I have a birthday.

[ And if he does, he doesn't remember. ]

What did she do in the past?

[theladylazarus]

You don't? [ Her voice is gentler. Despite her attitude, this tugs at her a little. ] Well. It saves you from the downsides.

She hadn't brought me out for my last birthday. It's more what other people do. There's always someone trying to hurt me or my friends. [ And sometimes the someone is a friend. ] Not that that's the only time it happens. Gotta be fair to birthdays.

[andthesun]

I do, when I was still alive. Not anymore since I become a Heroic Spirit. Things like that no longer matter to us. [ Karna was puzzled at the sudden hint of gentleness in her voice, and he noticed, inevitably, but didn't say anything about it. He raised an eyebrow at what Buffy said next. ]

...that sounds bad. I can understand why you're angry. When's your birthday? [ ... ] I'll help you out, though my Master said I can't since I'm not in the same game as you.

[theladylazarus]

You're a ghost. I'm sorry. [Even if he doesn't seem too sad about it at the moment, that sucks. Being dead. She can feel that way when it's about other people doing the dying.]

It's in a couple of weeks and. Yeah. It'll be a game thing, whatever "it" is. But thank you. You don't have to do anything. Just talking about it is nice. [If nothing else, she appreciates the opportunity to vent a little. He's being kind.]

[andthesun]

Not exactly. I am a Servant, a Heroic Spirit summoned by a mage for the purposes of a Holy Grail War. [ Getting a little bit technical there, Karna. ] But I appreciate the sentiment.

[ Because it is in his nature to help people. The fact that he couldn't help her in any way gave him something like a pang on his chest, but Karna could manage himself. He knows that he couldn't save everyone. That's the lesson he'd learnt back in life. ]

You're welcome. I'm sorry. [ Still though, it is awkward. He's never very good at words or communicating his feelings. ] I don't think I caught your name yet.

[theladylazarus]

[ Another soldier, huh. In what sounds worse than her own situation; at least no one controls her. She's made sure of that. How terrible. ]

I'm Buffy Summers.

So, a war. I fight in one too. Well, sorta. I slay. No summoning, though.

[andthesun]

I'm Karna, the son of the Sun God. It's nice to meet you, Buffy Summers.

[ He gave her a tiny smile. ]

Oh? What kind of war are you fighting in? Mine is a Holy Grail War. We fight for the Holy Grail. I was summoned as a Divine Heroic Spirit. It was originally seven Servants against each other, but this War was...a little different.

Does yours involves magecraft?

[theladylazarus]

No...well, there's witchcraft sometimes, but that's not the main thing. Just ordinary old-fashioned physical action against vampires, the forces of darkness. That kind of thing.

I'm hearing a lot of titles. [ She scrunches up her face. ] Must be a drag.

[andthesun]

I see. I did fight a vampire once, the Count Dracula. Vlad the Third. You know him?

[ More like, the other Lancer, aka the Lancer from the other faction went mad because his Master forced him to use the Noble Phantasm he did not want to use and then possess him. And Karna and co had to fight him afterwards. Fun for the whole family, it was. At what she said next, he smiled a bit. ]

That's the end of my title, although I am also known as the Hero of Charity. But if you mean the War...it was anything but a drag. [ He supposed it was fun, in a way. ] At least I got to stretch my legs.

[theladylazarus]

Really? Yeah. Well, I don't know which Vlad he was, but he was definitely calling himself Dracula and came with all the accessories. Castle, brides. Hypnosis.

[ She becomes slightly tense while speaking that last word; it's barely visible. Then she shakes it off. ]

More the background info. It just seems complicated. Though I guess it's normal for you. And hey, when it comes to action I'm there with you. War happens; best to get something to do in it.

[andthesun]

Mm, he's probably the Third. I know of no other Vlad. [ A brief pause. ] I am sorry you have to fight him. For me personally, he was a somewhat worthy opponent, until his Master forced him to become Count Dracula and possessed him, all for the purpose of keeping the Greater Grail in his possession.

[ Karna sensed that there was more to the topic that what she was saying, but didn't press it. He nodded at what she said next. ]

Ah, yes. That is true. Not that I have much of a choice. As complicated as it seems, it's simple, really. It all comes down to one thing: fight. Is it not the same for you, vampire slayer?

[god_of_hellfire]

What's the point of that? Birthdays are about getting wild and celebrating and shit.

[theladylazarus]

With my birthdays, wild is off the menu. Mine are cursed.

[god_of_hellfire]

Cursed like how?

[theladylazarus]

Life endangerment. Betrayal. Surprise presents are really overrated.

[tweedandglasses]

I believe the correct term would be 'bah humbug.'

[theladylazarus]

That's Christmas. I don't think Christmas is cursed.

...It's not, right?

[singindemonhq]

That may depend on who you're spending it with.