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Fate/Ethereal Order

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[X] The medical wing. You want to make absolutely certain there wasn't any negative effects to becoming a Demi-Servant. It's utterly unheard of, as far as you know, and you don't want to go into it blind.
 
Squirtodyle said:
"I know that it must be difficult, Ea-" Your head whips up as you hear Niamh speak, her voice quiet and dull and not at all the singsong melody you remember from your childhood. It's like she's speaking to a caged beast she's afraid might get set loose. "E-Edward. But you'll be okay. You'll be back to normal soon, and then everything will be fine. You...still remember me, don't you? Even after what happened to you? You said so earlier, didn't you?"

It takes you a moment to understand what she's talking about, but as soon as it clicks you can't help but look at her with a dumbfounded expression, something that only makes the look of unrestrained concern on her face deepen. The name, the way you've been acting towards her, that you lurched away from her as soon as you could, she thinks she knows why it's happening. You've become a Demi-Servant, after all. Perhaps that's having some effect on your mind, something that would make you treat your dear, doting sister like this.

There is, of course, no other way that you could ever possibly hate her.
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Delicious, delicious pain.

<"Hurry up, piglet! It's so boring being kept under watch here, they won't even let me start setting up a workshop! I hope you appreciate how well behaved I'm being for your sake, I definitely expect some compensation!">
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Piglet, huh? Well that's new and somewhat worrying.

"How young I am? How young do you think that is, Edward?" His voice goes from sombre to almost teasing, and despite yourself you want to play along. If nothing else, then to make it better for Matthew. You hurt enough knowing Roman less than a day, but he knew Roman for eight years before the switch.

Still, there's a problem. You honestly can't figure out how old he's meant to be, if "how young you are" was enough to make Matthew smile a little.

"...Tweeeeeenty?"

"I'm twenty-four, you know."

"What."

"It's true! Do you think I'd be allowed near real patients if I hadn't at least graduated college?" It makes sense, but...

"I guess not, but you just..." You flounder as you realise that finishing that sentence might not be the best idea in the world, but Matthew is merciless, seizing the opportunity to turn the conversation more pleasant even if it means embarrassing you.

"I just have a huge baby-face? Oh, I'm hurt. Poor, grizzled old man Edward thinking I was too young to be here-"

"Hey!"

He laughs, and you can't stop yourself from smiling, shaking your head and covering your mouth with your hand to hide it. It's hard to think that just a few minutes ago you were shivering with fear, but hell, maybe that had been the point. Even if he's not quite as qualified as the real Romani Archaman would have been, he does have a way of making you feel at ease. He probably feels better too, now that he's had a chance to laugh and make light of something.
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Good to know that Mashu is still the best kohai, regardless of a gender swap.

There's a mystery to that that you still can't understand. You've never been involved with anything to do with becoming a Demi-Servant, and you don't know what could have caused it. The whispers at the back of your mind that you can just barely recall when you used your Noble Phantasm were definitely there, you know you didn't imagine them. Someone or something must have made you like this, if Niamh avoided becoming one too. But why?

"Fou!"

"...You're right. No sense thinking about it now."
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A good question Edward, why have you become a Demiservant? You don't have the canon explanation of being created for it (unless you're secretly a homonculi-clone who's been given the original Edward's memories or something) and simply wanting to save people shouldn't be enough to make this happen, no matter how important your success may be to Alaya and/or Gaia. So why...?

As you place the Grail in the first slot and step backwards, a thought occurs to you.

How did Chaldea know that it would be Grails they were looking for?
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Another good question Edward, and one that makes me wonder whether it would be worth looking into whether this world's Animuspheres have any Solomonic ancestors.

"Blah, you barely look like you've got anything worth taking at all. That boa around your neck, maybe, if it wasn't really some mangy rat." He moves his pipe to his mouth and takes a quick puff, before shaking his head as he lets out a smoke-filled breath, the scent pungent enough to make your eyes water. "Well, whatever. Prostrate yourself before me and beg a bit and I'll spare you regardless."

"What." That's all you can muster at the moment, your jaw dropping at the audacity of what he just said. Your shield disappears as the figure steps down from it, and you vaguely know that you're not in danger from your own Servant, but to hear something like that?

"Come on, man, you're not deaf. I am the great thief Ishikawa Goemon! If you don't want me to rob you of what worthless possessions you have and leave you for dead, then I expect a little begging! Some pleading! I wouldn't say no to some blubbering either!"

"What?" He gives a smug chuckle at your reaction that instantly makes you want to punch his face in, but you manage to restrain yourself just enough for him to continue on.

"Oh, alright, alright. I got filled in when I got summoned, hm? World in danger, nothing left for me to take if it all goes kaput, I'm in. But just so we're clear, I'll be calling the shots around here, m'kay? We've got to do the formalities still, though. Blah blah, I ask of...blah, blah. Are you my Master or not?"

A part of you wants to deny it just so you can watch this smug prick disappear, but you wrestle that back down and bite out a single word. "Yes."

"No! But the contract has been forged and now I'm not in danger of keeling over dead." You suck in a breath and just stare, and the look in your eyes must have been something because he inches back just a little. "Alright, alright, someone's got his panties in a twist. I'll go off and explore a little until you cool down, so-called Master. Maybe someone else will have something fun to play with!"

Before you can speak, he's vanished, and you're left to growl by yourself before you reach out with your thoughts. Funnily enough, it helps if you imagine your mind as a pair of hands, and your connection to Goemon as his throat.

<"Goemon we are in a crisis, if you make things difficult I will-">

<"Mmm, yeah yeah, whatever. You know, underlings talking back to their bosses lose their tongues in a lot of places.">

If you didn't have Fou making therapeutic purrs next to your ear, you might've punched something.

Class: ???

True Name: Ishikawa Goemon

Stats:-
STR: D
END: B+
AGI: B
MAG: E
LUK: C

Further details are hidden.

With a sigh, you reach out and start tapping on your communicator, bringing up Matthew's contact information and starting to type on the holographic display it's creating.

"Matthew, it's Edward. Grail stored, energy surge summoned another Servant. Don't know his class, true name is Ishikawa Goemon. He's eyeballing Chaldea, just make sure everyone knows he's mine and that I've got him under control."

You hit send, musing on how true that last bit is. You might have three times as many Command Spells as other Masters ever get, but they're still precious, and you don't want to waste them.
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Hollow Order rules of summoning a new servant or two with every retrieved grail? That's fair, it works well for GO quests. I wonder what it says about Edward's character (development path) that he managed to affinity summon a douchebag like that.

...or Fou serves as a catalyst to summon assholes. That is also a possibility.

[X] The cafeteria. Before anything else, you haven't eaten since before the Rayshift and you've been working damn hard. Going around putting out fires is hard enough, you'd rather not do it hungry.

It's Self-care Sunday Eddy-boy.
 
[X] The cafeteria. Before anything else, you haven't eaten since before the Rayshift and you've been working damn hard. Going around putting out fires is hard enough, you'd rather not do it hungry.


Food then Servants
 
[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.
 
[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.
 
[X] The cafeteria. Before anything else, you haven't eaten since before the Rayshift and you've been working damn hard. Going around putting out fires is hard enough, you'd rather not do it hungry.
 
[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.
 
[X] The cafeteria. Before anything else, you haven't eaten since before the Rayshift and you've been working damn hard. Going around putting out fires is hard enough, you'd rather not do it hungry.
 
[X] The medical wing. You want to make absolutely certain there wasn't any negative effects to becoming a Demi-Servant. It's utterly unheard of, as far as you know, and you don't want to go into it blind.
 
[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.
 
[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.

This quest has a high level of cute guys. 10/10 literally perfect.
 
[X] Olga's office. You need a better idea of how things are overall in Chaldea right now, and Olga's your best bet. As much as you'd rather not speak with her, it's inevitable, and this way it's on your terms instead of her seeking you out.
 
Squirtodyle said:
"Eamon! Oh, you're awake, I'm so glad...I-I was so worried when we couldn't wake you up..." She's smiling at you, too-white teeth almost shining in the hospital-bright light of Chaldea's medical wing, and her eyes are wide and red like she's been crying. You honestly don't doubt that she has, it's always sad losing a prized pet.
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I haven't read any of the prior RPs this draws on, so I know nothing about these characters save what has been revealed in the text just far. And I am baffled by the current disconnect between the siblings and how they little they understand each other. Edward is treating Niamh like she's a fucking supervillain who feeds off his tears, and Niamh is treating Edward like...well, like her long-lost brother who she's happy to see again.
Squirtodyle said:
On the upside, Niamh is looking at you like you slapped her.

Good. She deserves to feel like that.
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What happened between these two? Niamh hasn't even done anything worth criticizing so far, except get cocky during the fight with Saber.
Squirtodyle said:
You're about to reply when you hear a mechanical hiss from Chaldea's sliding doors, and you turn your head just in time to catch Matthew striding forward. His eyes are like Niamh's, red with tears, but the look on his face is resolute. He's still wearing that lab coat from before, and it strikes you that with Ro-...with Bael gone and the explosions not too long ago, Matthew must be running himself ragged, even though it was his mentor that had tricked you all, even though he must be hurting worse than anyone else. Thinking about the traitor makes your stomach lurch and your heart burn, so you don't think about him, focus on Matthew, on the way he gives an exhausted smile when you lock eyes, the kind you give when everything's gone wrong and you manage to do something right anyway, somehow.
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I would just like to add that I, too, was devastated by the Roman plot twist, you cruel torturer. Also, is it heresy to say that I like this version of Mash better? Maybe it's just the fact that this quest wasn't translated from Japanese to English by someone with the language skills of Fou.
Squirtodyle said:
"My brother is recovering from having to fight for his life after your faulty equipment caused him to become...this. And you are interrupting. Leave us alone and go take care of the others. I'm here for him, and that's plenty." Every word makes your stomach churn, and you want to speak but you can't find your voice. It's like you're a decade and a half younger, listening to her speak during the few moments you were allowed together before she was whisked away for her studies and you were alone again. Fortunately, Matthew has no such impediment, even if he's a mundane talking to a magus. He's got steel inside him for sure.

"Edward is a patient here, and an extremely important one. The only reason you're allowed to be here at all is because you're a relative and Olga specifically allowed it. If you think for one moment that I'm going to leave him alone just so you can-" You appreciate the defense, even if you know some of it comes from a need to lash out at something, anything in the wake of his mentor's betrayal, you really do. But you've spent too long around Niamh to not feel the shift in the air when she begins to draw on her power, the chemical stench of a medical site swept away by fluttering leaves in summer and dewdrops on shimmering grass as she sucks in a breath and her eyes flash crimson. You know what's next, and you're moving before you can stop yourself, your heart hammering in your chest as you cut her off before she can speak in the enchanting, compelling voice you remember all too clearly, your free hand wrapping around her wrist and squeezing gently.
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Oh, here it is! Still not a full explanation of Edward's feelings, but we at least know that Niamh can be an arrogant twit.
Squirtodyle said:
"N-Niamh! It's alright. I'm not...I'm not feeling well right now. I'll be fine soon, and we can talk in your room, okay? I just need to rest a little longer." Every word feels wrong passing through your lips, but it's the best you can do. Your only concern is stopping Matthew from being her newest target. You can only hope she doesn't feel how you tremble, see the way anxious twitches wrack your muscles.
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Interesting, that he went with appeasement instead of, "Niamh, you dumbass, he's a doctor and you're not. Follow his instructions." It seems that, for all his power, Edward is still scared of his sister deep inside.
Squirtodyle said:
<"Hurry up, piglet! It's so boring being kept under watch here, they won't even let me start setting up a workshop! I hope you appreciate how well behaved I'm being for your sake, I definitely expect some compensation!">

You're a little worried about that.
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I look forward to seeing what Circe means by "compensation." :evil:
Squirtodyle said:
"...Right." You're a little surprised by how well he's taking it, but if he's been training to be a doctor, maybe he's just better at coping than you're giving him credit for. "You're pretty well able to handle yourself for how young you are." For a moment, he looks at you in confusion, before he coughs out a choking laugh and gives you a weak grin, rubbing his eyes a little.

"How young I am? How young do you think that is, Edward?" His voice goes from sombre to almost teasing, and despite yourself you want to play along. If nothing else, then to make it better for Matthew. You hurt enough knowing Roman less than a day, but he knew Roman for eight years before the switch.
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Oh dear, is he secretly a Servant? Is he one of those aging-slowed homonculi? Is he a vampire? How many hundreds of years old is he?
Squirtodyle said:
"I'm twenty-four, you know."

"What."

"It's true! Do you think I'd be allowed near real patients if I hadn't at least graduated college?" It makes sense, but...
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Oh.
Squirtodyle said:
The sound of the door hissing open again makes your heart jolt a bit, but when you look there doesn't seem to be anyone there. Your mind is racing through the possibilities, illusion, invisible assailant, one of your Servants, but Matthew's yelp and the flash of white fluff at the bottom of your view connects it in your mind just in time for your visitor to make a familiar sound.

"Fou!"
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Man, Edward is paranoid. I guess it comes from the lifestyle.

...Wait, how did Fou open the door?
Squirtodyle said:
"Mmh. Alright." You're not particularly happy with immediately being put to work again, but given what you know about Grails, it's important to get it somewhere safe. With how things have gone so far, you can't quite discount the idea that someone might want a wish.
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Wait, can these Grails be used to grant wishes? Because if so, there are a lot of useful things we could do with that. "I wish Goetia would stop trying to destroy humanity," "I wish Chaldea had never been bombed," etc. I'm sure there's some reason we can't wish on them, because that would make things far too easy, but I would like to know what it is.
Squirtodyle said:
Dimly, you're aware of another connection forging itself, though the moment he opens his mouth you wish you could undo it.

"Blah, you barely look like you've got anything worth taking at all. That boa around your neck, maybe, if it wasn't really some mangy rat." He moves his pipe to his mouth and takes a quick puff, before shaking his head as he lets out a smoke-filled breath, the scent pungent enough to make your eyes water. "Well, whatever. Prostrate yourself before me and beg a bit and I'll spare you regardless."

"What." That's all you can muster at the moment, your jaw dropping at the audacity of what he just said. Your shield disappears as the figure steps down from it, and you vaguely know that you're not in danger from your own Servant, but to hear something like that?

"Come on, man, you're not deaf. I am the great thief Ishikawa Goemon! If you don't want me to rob you of what worthless possessions you have and leave you for dead, then I expect a little begging! Some pleading! I wouldn't say no to some blubbering either!"

"What?" He gives a smug chuckle at your reaction that instantly makes you want to punch his face in, but you manage to restrain yourself just enough for him to continue on.

"Oh, alright, alright. I got filled in when I got summoned, hm? World in danger, nothing left for me to take if it all goes kaput, I'm in. But just so we're clear, I'll be calling the shots around here, m'kay? We've got to do the formalities still, though. Blah blah, I ask of...blah, blah. Are you my Master or not?"

A part of you wants to deny it just so you can watch this smug prick disappear, but you wrestle that back down and bite out a single word. "Yes."

"No! But the contract has been forged and now I'm not in danger of keeling over dead." You suck in a breath and just stare, and the look in your eyes must have been something because he inches back just a little. "Alright, alright, someone's got his panties in a twist. I'll go off and explore a little until you cool down, so-called Master. Maybe someone else will have something fun to play with!"

Before you can speak, he's vanished, and you're left to growl by yourself before you reach out with your thoughts. Funnily enough, it helps if you imagine your mind as a pair of hands, and your connection to Goemon as his throat.
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There's always that one Servant who lets "legendary hero of humanity" go right to their head. This prick has the potential to be very entertaining.

[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.

Our Servants were the reason we managed to get out of Fuyuki alive. They deserve better than being locked up by paranoid scientists, so let's get their situation sorted out.
 
Vocalist said:
I haven't read any of the prior RPs this draws on, so I know nothing about these characters save what has been revealed in the text just far.
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Don't worry, Ed's relationship with his sister and family was only lightly touched on prior and the RPs aren't canon to this quest. Everything involving their relationship is planned out and is going to be revealed, not relying on you having prior knowledge of the character.
 
From the looks of how Niamh acted with Mathew this might be a good reason for him to fear her especially since he's from a old magi family since they usually don't care for the children that aren't that strong much but for the ability they have or passing down the secrets of the family. I mean just look a Sakura or that one child from fate/strange fake who's parents didn't care that their child was in a indefinite coma after putting stolen crest worms into her but were focuse more on if she could still have kids.
 
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[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.

Lets ease distressed Servants before they start doing distressed Servant things
 
[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.
 
I'm getting distinct "creepy kid with inhuman thought processes" vibes off of Nimah. Maybe add in "unable to tell apart types of love".
 
[X] Archer and Circe's room. You could let them know via your link that you'll be a bit, but frankly you'd rather Chaldea get used to the idea of your Servants being around, and you want to thank them in person anyway.
 
Alright let's take a lil looksie in here

Squirtodyle said:
That bitter pit that your mind goes to when you're not doing well and you know it whispers to you before you can even open your eyes, and you know what it says before the thought finishes crossing your mind, experience telling you exactly what you can conjure up in your unhappy moments.

"It will be Niamh," it whispers, taunting you with the horrible possibility that you might have endured the entirety of Fuyuki and the betrayal at its close just to be met with her face as the first thing you see. "It will be Niamh come to take you back."

With a groan, you force your eyes open, hoping that it might just be Archer with her characteristic overprotectiveness, Matthew, the actual medical officer, or even Circe just trying to sidle up to you after you forged the contract with her.

Red meets red, dull meets vibrant, and you remember that half the reason it's so hard to get rid of that little voice in your mind is because it's usually right.
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"IDon'tKnowWhatIExpected.wav"

"Eamon! Oh, you're awake, I'm so glad...I-I was so worried when we couldn't wake you up..." She's smiling at you, too-white teeth almost shining in the hospital-bright light of Chaldea's medical wing, and her eyes are wide and red like she's been crying. You honestly don't doubt that she has, it's always sad losing a prized pet.

White-hot spite and deathly cold fear battle out in your mind from having her so close, to being so vulnerable, and for a moment you're frozen. Niamh is too busy blubbering about how she felt to pay attention to the look on your face, but by the time she raises her head again to look you in the eye instead of whining you're at least able to pick which one to come down on. The fact that you remember what you're holding and how you got it helps a little. You're not powerless anymore.

"Don't call me that!" You whip your hand out of hers like you've been stung, all but throwing yourself away from her. If it hadn't been for the fact that your bed was up against the wall, you might have fallen off completely. Instead you're left backed against the wall, breathing hard and wincing. Your muscles still feel a little like jelly, and moving hurts a fair bit. On the upside, Niamh is looking at you like you slapped her.

Good. She deserves to feel like that.
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So far we're at least still in ambiguous 'has Ed been primed to always see her actions in the worst possible light or is Niamh really a dick' territory.

"I know that it must be difficult, Ea-" Your head whips up as you hear Niamh speak, her voice quiet and dull and not at all the singsong melody you remember from your childhood. It's like she's speaking to a caged beast she's afraid might get set loose. "E-Edward. But you'll be okay. You'll be back to normal soon, and then everything will be fine. You...still remember me, don't you? Even after what happened to you? You said so earlier, didn't you?"

It takes you a moment to understand what she's talking about, but as soon as it clicks you can't help but look at her with a dumbfounded expression, something that only makes the look of unrestrained concern on her face deepen. The name, the way you've been acting towards her, that you lurched away from her as soon as you could, she thinks she knows why it's happening. You've become a Demi-Servant, after all. Perhaps that's having some effect on your mind, something that would make you treat your dear, doting sister like this.

There is, of course, no other way that you could ever possibly hate her.
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Upside, she's using the name Ed wants to go by these days. Downside, possibly just because she thinks he has magical brain damage and will violently beat her to death if she doesn't. Two steps forward one step back?

"Edward, you've come to. I heard shouting, so I was worried...what happened? Was it a vision, or some kind of dream? I've heard Masters were meant to see the history of their Servants sometimes, but given your unique condition..." He trails off a little in an invitation for you to speak, but before you can even open your mouth you hear Niamh speak in a sickly sweet tone that makes your blood run cold, like a ripe fruit dripping with poison.

"My brother is recovering from having to fight for his life after your faulty equipment caused him to become...this. And you are interrupting. Leave us alone and go take care of the others. I'm here for him, and that's plenty." Every word makes your stomach churn, and you want to speak but you can't find your voice. It's like you're a decade and a half younger, listening to her speak during the few moments you were allowed together before she was whisked away for her studies and you were alone again. Fortunately, Matthew has no such impediment, even if he's a mundane talking to a magus. He's got steel inside him for sure.

"Edward is a patient here, and an extremely important one. The only reason you're allowed to be here at all is because you're a relative and Olga specifically allowed it. If you think for one moment that I'm going to leave him alone just so you can-" You appreciate the defense, even if you know some of it comes from a need to lash out at something, anything in the wake of his mentor's betrayal, you really do. But you've spent too long around Niamh to not feel the shift in the air when she begins to draw on her power, the chemical stench of a medical site swept away by fluttering leaves in summer and dewdrops on shimmering grass as she sucks in a breath and her eyes flash crimson. You know what's next, and you're moving before you can stop yourself, your heart hammering in your chest as you cut her off before she can speak in the enchanting, compelling voice you remember all too clearly, your free hand wrapping around her wrist and squeezing gently.

"N-Niamh! It's alright. I'm not...I'm not feeling well right now. I'll be fine soon, and we can talk in your room, okay? I just need to rest a little longer." Every word feels wrong passing through your lips, but it's the best you can do. Your only concern is stopping Matthew from being her newest target. You can only hope she doesn't feel how you tremble, see the way anxious twitches wrack your muscles.
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"She was going to use magecraft on you. I just...I've seen what happens sometimes, it's not pleasant. I'll talk to her later." You speak as smoothly and as plainly as you can, desperate to get across the impression that you're alright before Matthew's better nature makes him start to pry. "I'm fine. What about you? What happened when we got back?"
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o o f

So that's a real bad sign. She was gonna blast Mattie's brain with a magical dubstep cannon for backtalking her, and this behaviour was so familiar that Ed immediately jumped in with the survival behaviour to placate her. This isn't just some general thing, Niamh has blasted someone with magic for petty reasons like backchatting her enough times for it to have formed a consistent pattern of behaviour Ed's still trained to deal with. What the hell must she have been like back when they were kids, Ickle Baby Vanya shattering the maids' necks for trying to make her eat her veggies?

If there's one small spot of good news it's that we've figured out it's not just some kind of misunderstanding. Ed's frightened of her because she's given him ample reason to be, even if she never meant it that way. Which is... a Problem. And if I'd hazard a guess it's because of her parents going full bloodline techniques memes and just not trying to socialise out the capricious, childlike 'fuck you got mine and don't be mean to me' sociopathy characteristic of the fae in most stories. Of which Ed seems to be the sole exception because she's clearly demonstrated she would never stand for the kind of backtalk she's been getting from him out of anyone else. Maybe because he's still family.

<"Hurry up, piglet! It's so boring being kept under watch here, they won't even let me start setting up a workshop! I hope you appreciate how well behaved I'm being for your sake, I definitely expect some compensation!">

You're a little worried about that.
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"Happy International Woman's Day," says Circe as she straps on the strap-on.

"How young I am? How young do you think that is, Edward?" His voice goes from sombre to almost teasing, and despite yourself you want to play along. If nothing else, then to make it better for Matthew. You hurt enough knowing Roman less than a day, but he knew Roman for eight years before the switch.

Still, there's a problem. You honestly can't figure out how old he's meant to be, if "how young you are" was enough to make Matthew smile a little.

"...Tweeeeeenty?"

"I'm twenty-four, you know."

"What."

"It's true! Do you think I'd be allowed near real patients if I hadn't at least graduated college?" It makes sense, but...

"I guess not, but you just..." You flounder as you realise that finishing that sentence might not be the best idea in the world, but Matthew is merciless, seizing the opportunity to turn the conversation more pleasant even if it means embarrassing you.

"I just have a huge baby-face? Oh, I'm hurt. Poor, grizzled old man Edward thinking I was too young to be here-"

"Hey!"

He laughs, and you can't stop yourself from smiling, shaking your head and covering your mouth with your hand to hide it. It's hard to think that just a few minutes ago you were shivering with fear, but hell, maybe that had been the point. Even if he's not quite as qualified as the real Romani Archaman would have been, he does have a way of making you feel at ease. He probably feels better too, now that he's had a chance to laugh and make light of something.
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Ed: "You don't understand, when I thought you were like nineteen I was crossing you off my 'allow my dick near' list."
Matthew: "Ahaha, oh no. I'm not letting your dick get away o_o"

And then they fuck on the exam table.

The sound of the door hissing open again makes your heart jolt a bit, but when you look there doesn't seem to be anyone there. Your mind is racing through the possibilities, illusion, invisible assailant, one of your Servants, but Matthew's yelp and the flash of white fluff at the bottom of your view connects it in your mind just in time for your visitor to make a familiar sound.

"Fou!"

All of a sudden, the little ball of fur is moving, lunging forward as Matthew struggles to maneuver himself away, but it's too little, too late. In a movement so smooth you have to imagine Fou practiced it somehow, he leaps up onto Matthew's lap and bounces off of it onto your bed, landing on your stomach hard enough that you give a "whoof" of air followed by a groan of pain. High speed impacts are the last thing you need when your body feels like one big bruise. When you lower your head, Fou is licking one of his paws and staring up at you almost imperiously. Over to the side, Matthew groans as he rubs his thigh.

"Not again...bad Fou. Bad!"
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"Fou-k you."

(How the hell did he reach the 'open' button with his tiny lil paws)

He shakes his head before reaching over to pet the strange creature's tail with a sigh. "He's taken a real liking to you."

"Mm." You never did get a pet, worried that your lifestyle might make it hard to care for, but Fou is rapidly convincing you of the merits of the idea. You're not quite at the cooing and baby talk stage, but if he wants to be pet, then you're not going to deny him. Once both you and Matthew are gently stroking his soft fur, he seems content, giving another yip as he settles down on your lap.

"...I guess you're going to have a passenger for the next while. Once he gets like this, he'll start digging in claws if you try to make him let go, heh."
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I'm gonna guess Fou isn't the Fou-rth Beast here, because taking such an instant liking to Ed doesn't really track to that. Now, if he's secretly Merlin (or Merlin remote viewing through and/or piloting the Cath Palug) it does because presumably-Merlin's narration has been quite present and it would track with what we know for Merlin to have been responsible for the Demi-Servanting and to want to watch over Ed in these troubled times.

There's a mystery to that that you still can't understand. You've never been involved with anything to do with becoming a Demi-Servant, and you don't know what could have caused it. The whispers at the back of your mind that you can just barely recall when you used your Noble Phantasm were definitely there, you know you didn't imagine them. Someone or something must have made you like this, if Niamh avoided becoming one too. But why?

"Fou!"

"...You're right. No sense thinking about it now."

Honestly, you don't know if that's what he meant at all, but you'll take the excuse. Right now, you need to get the Grail to storage. The path to the elevator isn't long, but as you walk further from where you started you're starting to see more of the aftereffects. You pass staff running this way and that, not even pausing to look at you for more than a moment before pushing past you despite your strange appearance and what you're holding. There's bits and pieces of ruined, melted steel cast about, exposed circuitry in the walls sparking and making you scoot around it to avoid being zapped. Every so often, you wrinkle your nose at the scent of burnt plastic, but compared to the horrible, ever-present smog that had been Fuyuki's last breath, you can live with it. You've been out a day, and everyone here has been working to keep humanity's last hope chugging along.

Logically, you know it's stupid to feel that way after everything that happened. But the guilt gnaws at you like starving rats anyway.

Never again.

You feel Fou poking at your cheek as you reach the elevator, and when you turn your head a little you can see him almost glaring at you. It's kind of amazing how in touch the little thing is with you. "Alright, alright...I'll focus."
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Case in point, Fou showing an alarming degree of intelligence and people-reading skills as he tries to pull Ed off dwelling about the human cost of Flauros' attack and the cause of his Demi-Servanting.

Before you lies a metal platform, exposed circuitry and wires all but covering it like some mechanical nervous system. The thrum of power is greater here, enough that you can feel a headache coming on just from being around, a pressure gathering at the base of your skull. Eight round slots dot the platform, and from the way the metal in your hand heats up just from being near it, you bet that you know what they're meant for.

As you place the Grail in the first slot and step backwards, a thought occurs to you.

How did Chaldea know that it would be Grails they were looking for?
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More to the point, how did they know they'd need eight slots? 'cause that's seven for the main Singularities plus one for Fuyuki.

Chaldea must not be planning to run any story Events I guess :V

Your shield is on your arm now, you don't know when or how you summoned it but it's like a valve diverting the pressure, energy surging and building up until the shield is too hot to handle. With a panicked yelp you toss it to the ground, leaving it sit there before it...

Starts to glow?

Shimmering cyan pulses from the shield in waves before starting to coalesce, each pulse sending more particles of light to construct whatever it's making. After a moment, it looks vaguely like a human. After two, it seems almost like a man. And after three, the figure takes shape, stepping down off of your shield and facing you.
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And there's Galahad's shield being used for its function as the Round Table to 'gather heroes'! Quite directly I might add.

He's tall, about as tall as you are, and his eyes are an absolutely brilliant jade. Messy black hair frames his face, unkempt enough to be roguishly handsome without seeming genuinely untidy. A long black coat trimmed with blue and tied around the waist with a plain yellow sash covers his torso, albeit left open just enough to tease at the wiry muscles and tanned skin beneath. His trousers are the same black as the coat, tucked into white tabi that rise up halfway to his knee. Once upon a time, his clothes might have seemed extravagant, but they've become worn and faded with age, the colors dull and the fabric torn in places. One hand is covered with a glove with the fingers cut off, held loosely at his side, while the other is bare and twirls a long pipe in his fingers.

Dimly, you're aware of another connection forging itself, though the moment he opens his mouth you wish you could undo it.

"Blah, you barely look like you've got anything worth taking at all. That boa around your neck, maybe, if it wasn't really some mangy rat." He moves his pipe to his mouth and takes a quick puff, before shaking his head as he lets out a smoke-filled breath, the scent pungent enough to make your eyes water. "Well, whatever. Prostrate yourself before me and beg a bit and I'll spare you regardless."

"What." That's all you can muster at the moment, your jaw dropping at the audacity of what he just said. Your shield disappears as the figure steps down from it, and you vaguely know that you're not in danger from your own Servant, but to hear something like that?

"Come on, man, you're not deaf. I am the great thief Ishikawa Goemon! If you don't want me to rob you of what worthless possessions you have and leave you for dead, then I expect a little begging! Some pleading! I wouldn't say no to some blubbering either!"

"What?" He gives a smug chuckle at your reaction that instantly makes you want to punch his face in, but you manage to restrain yourself just enough for him to continue on.

"Oh, alright, alright. I got filled in when I got summoned, hm? World in danger, nothing left for me to take if it all goes kaput, I'm in. But just so we're clear, I'll be calling the shots around here, m'kay? We've got to do the formalities still, though. Blah blah, I ask of...blah, blah. Are you my Master or not?"

A part of you wants to deny it just so you can watch this smug prick disappear, but you wrestle that back down and bite out a single word. "Yes."

"No! But the contract has been forged and now I'm not in danger of keeling over dead." You suck in a breath and just stare, and the look in your eyes must have been something because he inches back just a little. "Alright, alright, someone's got his panties in a twist. I'll go off and explore a little until you cool down, so-called Master. Maybe someone else will have something fun to play with!"

Before you can speak, he's vanished, and you're left to growl by yourself before you reach out with your thoughts. Funnily enough, it helps if you imagine your mind as a pair of hands, and your connection to Goemon as his throat.

<"Goemon we are in a crisis, if you make things difficult I will-">

<"Mmm, yeah yeah, whatever. You know, underlings talking back to their bosses lose their tongues in a lot of places.">

If you didn't have Fou making therapeutic purrs next to your ear, you might've punched something.
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L M A O

You've summoned a scruffy rogueish bandit daddy, Ed. Guard your loins closely or he may steal your chastity too. Like... I'm sure you're not a virgin, my boy Ed fucks, but you're bonded with Notorious Softboy Who Never Even Littered Galahad so you're probably back to being a pure maiden at least spiritually.

Class: ???

True Name: Ishikawa Goemon

Stats:-
STR: D
END: B+
AGI: B
MAG: E
LUK: C

Further details are hidden.
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Well, we may not even know his class, but the dude's a pretty big Japanese culture hero and was thoroughly memed into being a master ninja, his execution attributed to attempting to kill Totoyomi Hideyoshi and they slapped on a previous attempted assassination on Nobu at some point, so the chances of him not being an Assassin are approximately zero. In any case his shockingly high Endurance makes sense, dude apparently made a point to slamdunk his son to death in the boiling cauldron so he'd suffer the least and then hold that kid's corpse over his head like a boombox as he called everyone watching a cuck before he finally died (or in another telling endured the boiling water to hold his son over his head so long he was eventually spared), so I'm gonna guess he'll have a bit of BatCon and a Profligate Pillager or similar 'rob people for a tangible benefit' skill.

So likely to be quite powerful and flexible if ninjutsu memes have truly empowed him, but also to be torture for Ed to put up with. So win-win!

[X] The cafeteria. Before anything else, you haven't eaten since before the Rayshift and you've been working damn hard. Going around putting out fires is hard enough, you'd rather not do it hungry.

Ed, eat a Snickers. You're not you when you're hungry.
 
ZerbanDaGreat said:
L M A O

You've summoned a scruffy rogueish bandit daddy, Ed. Guard your loins closely or he may steal your chastity too. Like... I'm sure you're not a virgin, my boy Ed fucks, but you're bonded with Notorious Softboy Who Never Even Littered Galahad so you're probably back to being a pure maiden at least spiritually.
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Being a maiden is a state of mind, more than any physicality!
 
I'll be closing the vote midnight on Friday, which is roughly two days from now. I won't give an ETA on an update since I tend to pretty horribly miss estimated times, but I will be free of one of the biggest stress points of my school year after Friday is done, so that should boost productivity.

Thank you for bearing with me!
 
Oh yeah, Squirtodyle, is there any chance of us finding out who the other Servants we might have summoned instead of Archer were? Or would that still potentially be able to spoil something?
 
Geedubs said:
Oh yeah, Squirtodyle, is there any chance of us finding out who the other Servants we might have summoned instead of Archer were? Or would that still potentially be able to spoil something?
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You may end up summoning one or both of them at some point, so until I've definitively eliminated them as potential Servants, I won't be spoiling too much about them.

I will say that the "summer" choice was a Rider, and the "winter" choice was a Berserker.
 
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