Vibes (Medium: Failure): You try to tune into the battlefield, but it is too alien, too chaotic for us to get any read on. But the vibrations of the ground and air are trying to say Something. It's just not possible to discern what it is yet.
Inland Empire: (Medium: Success): However intuiting where the Skeleton is going to strike is much easier for us. It doesn't seem very smart, and it's...shrieks? menacing rattles are actually tells of what it'll do next, or at least how hard it'll strike.
In short you and mash make good work against it, with her being fast enough to reposition incase it does the same, it goes down in short order after Ophelia arrives.
Mash: "Phew. I had my worries but we made it. Are you hurt Ritsuka senpai? Does your stomach hurt or feel heavy."
Ritsuka: "I'm fine, but shouldn't you be asking that to Ophelia, she was the one holding off the skeleton while I was out."
She blinks for a second and then blushes.
Mash: "Of course, Ophelia Senpai, are you alright as well?"
Empathy (easy: Success): Don't worry while she may have a slight bias towards you, she's still embarrassed and a little bit ashamed that she didn't check in on Ophelia first.
Fellowship: Good, I don't want things getting awkward between us and our fellow Master because of this.
Ophelia: "Oh no, I'm fine mash, it didn't touch me thanks to my familiar."
The shadowy being nods it's head, and now that you get a closer look at it, it seems to be clad in some sort of armor, and it has a sword holstered.
Encyclopedia (Challenging: Success): That armor is not like anything we've seen before.
Conceptualization: (Hard: Success): Upon a closer inspection it seems to be a generic knight armor, as if something or someone took a bunch of knight armors, merged them together and then added a blade.
Empathy (Medium: Success): The Knight seems to be pleased by the acknowledgment.
Ritsuka: "Okay...Mash, could you tell me what that was all about? What happened to you?"
Ophelia: "I will admit, I am more than a little curious about that as well."
Mash: "The reason behind that is-"
She would be interrupted by a hologram appearing nearby her and Ophelia. it's Doctor Archaman.
Roman: "Testing! Testing! can you hear me? This is Chaldea Central Command, Do you hear me?"
Mash: "This is Mash Kyrielight a member of Team A. Me and Two others have completed the Rayshift into Singularity F. My companions of Ophelia Phamrsolone of Team A and Ritsuka Fujimaru of Team H, His Master and Rayshift compatibility exceeds expectations, please register Senpai as an official Researcher"
Roman: "Another member of Team A Survived?! I thought-Wait Ritsuka is also there?"
Ophelia: "Yes, he helped me out of my coffin when he noticed that it was less damaged by the attack."
He would then sigh, before looking at you
Roman: "...Well I suppose I can't be too mad about you not running for safety if you managed to save someone. Well onto my next Concern. mash what are you wearing?! It's so....Shameless. I certainly didn't raise you to dress like that!"
Reaction Speed (medium: Success): Wait 'raise you' is he Mash's father or something?
Empathy: Well, he could be like, Recently divorced or something.
Conceptualization: Yeah I can see it. The question is was it an Amicable one or not.
Drama: Well I hope-
Volition (Easy: Success): Alright, let's stop trying to re-create the lives of people we don't have information about. Honestly I thought we got over it by middle school.
Logic: Old habits die hard.
You force yourself to refocus back on the current time and place. luckily nobody noticed your bout of internal distraction.
Mash: "I transformed into this, I couldn't protect Ritsuka senpai in the Chaldea uniform."
Ritsuka: "Wait, is that why all your wounds from the sabotage are healed?"
Logic (Medium: Success): That...is actually a good point, whatever she did, transformation or power up, had to have restored her to Human, no, judging from the size of that shield Above Human abilities.
Physical Instrument: To be fair, it's not that hard to be stronger and tougher than we are. Arguably it'd be harder to be weaker as your muscles would not only have to be untrained like ours are, but also weakened.
Mash: "Yes. That is also how I found the strength to fight off that skeleton while only taking Minor damage."
Romani: "She what? You what?!"
Mash would just sigh.
Mash: "Dr. Archaman please check my physical condition. It should explain everything."
Roman: "I feel like I have to at this point to get a sense of what's going on. Woah. Woah, Woah! Everything about you just about improved beyond human capabilities, You yourself don't even qualify as human anymore, but a-"
Mash: "Yes i am a Servant, I don't remember how it happened, But it seems I have survived by fusing with a servant. To investigate and resolve Singularity F, A servant was provided in advance. The Servant Lost it's master in the explosion and was doomed to vanish, but at the last second he offered me a contract. In return for his powers and Noble phantasm he wanted me to solve the cause of the singularities."
Roman: "A heroic Spirit and Human fused...I see so Chaldea finally pulled off it's sixth Experiment."
Empathy (Challenging: Failure): to properly describe what Romani is feeling right now is beyond you, but he is feeling A LOT. some of it good, some of it bad. the most distinct emotion I can parse from that is Confliction.
Roman: "Does the heroic spirit still have his consciousness?"
Mash: "No, he gave me his combat abilities and then vanished. He didn't even reveal his true name to me. Or what kind of Noble Phantasm I am holding. At this point there's too much I don't know."
Inland Empire (Challenging: Success): I don't believe that.
Ritsuka: You're going to have to be more specific there.
Inland Empire: I don't believe that he could just give her his power AND vanish. If the Fusion healed Mash then chances are it also restored the Servant to a functional state.
Logic (Challenging: Success): Yeah that....actually makes a whole lot of Sense. Granted we know next to nothing about Servants other than 'they are people of great legend summoned by masters to help resolve Singularities' But, if the Fusion can heal Mash, it could also maybe possibly probably restore the servant.
Drama: While it would be interesting if this were true, the problem remains is that Mash is like an open Book. if she's holding anything back we'd get that feeling. Of course Sire, that's just my take on the matter.
Inland Empire: The Actor has the right of it. We would notice. Which is why it's so weird that this feeling of doubt is so strong.
Rhetoric: Perhaps, this is just a guess as I truly didn't hear her use any wordplay, but perhaps that's how she know it as. It doesn't register as a Lie if they believe in it.
Drama: True.
Inland Empire: For now let us just keep our ears perked for any instance of this Servant making himself known from within Mash.
Roman: "Well look on the bright side, not every Servant summoned is willing to cooperate, so now that you are one- or as close as a Human can get to become one, you are now our trump card against the Singularities."
Mash: "I don't know about being the trump card if all the blame will land on me."
Roman: "You'll be fine. Oh and Ritsuka?"
Ritsuka: "Yeah?"
Roman: "Would you mind sticking with Ophelia and Mash? I know it's a lot to ask of you but I think that your best shot at survival is aiding them, We can also handle activating your uh, Mana Circuit while summoning up some other servants."
Ritsuka: "Well uh....is that okay with the two of you?"
Ophelia: "I trust the Doctor's Judgement."
Mash: "I would prefer it if Senpai came with us."
Ritsuka: "Well there you have it."
Roman: "Alright then, in that case Ritsuka I want you to be Mash's Master it seems like the Safest choice, and It'll also Open up your Mana Circuit."
Ritsuka: "Alright...but why is that? Mash seems to be doing real well without a Contract."
Roman: "oh...yeah i guess you don't know. Personally I blame the Pamphlets not explaining enough, but a Master is basically an Anchor for Servants, and a provider of magical Energy. It helps keeps them stable and grounded in this world, In return for acting as their Anchor they receive three, and normally only three Command Seals, These three command seals can be spent to make Servants preform miracles...Or alternatively control your servant to do things they normally won't do."
Inland Empire: Miracles? I like the sound of that.
Authority (Medium: Success): Depending on the servant or situation it could also be worth taking in the command aspect of it. You know, in the case that Mr. Smooth Talk over here fails.
Suggestion: Don't listen to him Fujimaru, he's just jealous that your more liable to people please your way out of situations.
Ritsuka: "So is that why you want me to be her master? the command seals? Because i doubt that any Mana I can provide would be any better than her upgraded reserves."
Roman: "Well about that..The version of the summoning system Chaldea uses has a few...quirks about it. Firstly Our Command Spells are more like...Compulsion Spells, as in they can't command Servants to do anything but in return the more a Servant and Master are compatible with each other, or at least in synch with each other the more mileage you can get from them. Theoretically even surpassing if only a little, the miracles regular Command spells are capable of making. You and mash seem to get along well so I'm hoping the two of you could be the miracle makers Chaldea needs. Which is good because unlike traditional command Spells, these ones recharge every 24 hours, or they will as soon as i uh get the main generators working again. The main generators will also be the Contracted servants Mana flow, so you don't have to worry about your uh, Unique status negatively affecting the mission"
Ritsuka: "Alright. Sounds good to me. Uhm...How exactly do i do this?"
Ophelia: "Well...I can explain the basics of forging a Contract, if I may."
Roman: "Yeah sure go ahead."
Ophelia: "Alright. Well, usually the Forging of a contract between a master and a Servant goes like this, The master summons up a servant...something already taken care of in this case, and then after a short introductions a question is posed, either by the Servant who was summoned or by the Master. After that a Sign of Affirmation. It's easy."
Ritsuka: "In that case..."
You look at Mash, and decide on the best way to commit to the contract.
Dialogue:
[X] A handshake, a nice simple professional option.
-[X] Electro Chemistry: Or, we can try a less professional version of it. After all she's just had her legs crushed and her workplace sabotaged. a pleasant distraction sounds like what she needs.
Ritsuka: That depends, what do you have in mind?
Electro Chemistry: Well I'm thinking we turn the shake into a hug. Hugs are nice, especially with girls.
Volition: You do realize she's wearing armor right?
Electro Chemistry: first of all, that is the skimpiest-
Encyclopedia (Medium: Success): MMO Bikini armor.
Electro Chemistry: Okay second skimpiest set of armor we've ever laid eyes upon. I mean come on, the Navel is exposed and it's pretty much a an armored leotard beyond that. I'm sure that even if we can't feel that, we can still gain something for the imagination. even if it's only what it'd feel like to hug her in her Chaldea Uniform.
Ritsuka: A hug isn't that bad. sure.
You offer up a hand to shake to forge the contract.
Ritsuka: "Well mash looks like we'll be on the same team after all, so let me introduce myself. My name is Ritsuka Fujimaru, A reserve Master of Team H. Pleased to be working with you."
She would take it with a nod.
Mash: "Mash Kyrielight, Demi-servant of Team A, likewise."
Physical Instrument (trivial: Success): Her grip is strong, like Iron. Something enhanced by her transformation into something more than Human.
Finesse (Medium Success): moving from a handshake into a hug came quite easily to us, though not so much that it shocked her into doing something hasty.
Ritsuka: "And for what it's worth...I'm glad you took that contract. It would've been...horrible if I lost one of my first friends on day one."
As you pull away from the Hug you noticed that Mash is...Blushing?
Electro Chemistry: Cute. We should try to make her do that more.
Fellowship (Medium: Success): Romani and Ophelia share the same sentiment, Although for different reasons than we do.
As the contract is made and settled you feel two things happens, first was the strange sensation of command seals on your favored hand, the second however...
Pain threshold (Medium: Failure): Is a Lot less pleasant.
A strange burning sensation fills your body filling you with the sense that something akin to your nerves are on fire.
Physical Instrument (easy: success): It's like the time your PE teacher back in middle school did the pacer gram fitness test, only instead of muscles burning it's something else.
Inland Empire (medium: success): something from the soul.
Ritsuka: "Is...is forging a contract supposed to be this bad. or is that my mana circuit."
Roman: "Ah...Right. I forgot that opening up mana circuits for the first time is...Unpleasant. Are you going to be okay?"
Pain Threshold (Medium: Failure): we'll be walking slow until the worst of it passes.
Endurance (medium: Success): But you are JUST durable enough to get back into regular shape after the Aching inside of you stops. Whenever that is.
Ritsuka: "It'll take some getting used to, but I'll be fine. Just uh, maybe keep an eye on my physical condition as I move with them?"
Roman: "About that...I won't be able to do that. The only reason our connection is even stable right now is because you all Haven't moved. The moment you start moving again, the connection will snap like a frayed wire. It should be fixed when you hit the the Leyline and start summoning. if I get the Main generators up and going again....the mana flow from here to them should uh strengthen the connection."
Mash: "You don't sound that confident."
Roman: "Well I'm more of a Medical Doctor than a mechanical one. But I'm sure it'll be fine."
Ritsuka: "Right well I suppose that's our cue to get going then?"
It wasn't but you and the others couldn't sit around talking, So you made your way towards the leyline Romani pointed you towards. And during your travel you got used to the feeling of your mana circuit activating, though the strange soreness of it all still lingers.
Pain Threshold (Medium: Success): Slowly though you got used to it. though it was hard.
More importantly though you made a realization, out of three people in this little team...You were the only one who was willing to make small talk. and actually try to get to know the others.
Empathy (medium: Success): Or at least you are the only one who is trying to make the group dynamic all inclusive. As Mash isn't much of a talker with those she considers more threatening than her human self, While Ophelia...
Fellowship (Medium: Success): Ophelia has been through a lot, and while it'll take...awhile for me to tune into her frequency as a Fellow master, rest assured, she just needs time to adjust to everything.
Maybe you should try to think of a topic that'll get them both talking...
Dialogue:
[X] Ask about the More social aspects of Chaldea, seeing as you are new and all.
Ritsuka: "So, since I'm new and all..uh...could any of you inform me about the more social aspects of the place? I don't want to step on anyone's toes once they recover the other masters least affected by the sabotage."
The two would look at you and then each other, two people who probably didn't socialize much, before Mash speaks up.
Mash: "Well...from my observations, Most the the staff just sort of grouped up naturally, like a gang or such. Masters on the other hand seemed to be much more...varied. I can't speak for how their time outside chaldea has made them all socialize differently, but the normal pattern is that outside of Teams, which seem to be organized by experience and power, Masters tend to group themselves into...Well I'm not quite sure how to call it, philosophical camps about being a Master?"
Ophelia: "Well...sort of. See, other than my Team, Team A, I mostly spent time around others like myself."
Ritsuka: "Other quiet types? I guess that explains the Shadowy Knight."
Ophelia: "Well yes, but also around others who specialized in Spiritual Evocation and those who shared the same thoughts about being a master."
Ritsuka: "Okay. And Mash, uh, did you group up with anyone? Other than Team A?"
Mash: "No other Masters, Just the Staff of Chaldea. Lev, Doctor Romani, and the others."
Ritsuka: "Okay then...So uh, what's Team A like?"
Ophelia: "Well, I can't say much about Kadoc, Daybit or Hinako, but I know that...Peperonico was what some would call the life of the party. Beryl was..."
Empathy (Medium: Success): Nothing good.
Fellowship (Medium: Success): Mash...well she doesn't cringe in acknowledgment, she does frown upon hearing the name.
Ophelia: "Beryl. and Wodime...Wodime is, different for a Magus. Special, in a good way. I admired him and.."
She trails off.
Fellowship: She is certain he's one of the dead.
Ritsuka: "Well maybe I can see why you admired him. After all i found you alive. there has to be Other survivors in those coffins."
Ophelia: "yeah, I sure hope so."
The four of you move on after that. After awhile, Mash stops and turns to face you and Ophelia.
Mash: "We are approaching the Leyline the Doctor mentioned. I wonder...will it be empowered by the strange raise of Ambient mana in the air or if whatever happened here didn't sink itself that deep into the ground."
Before you could respond a piercing shriek cuts through the air.
Perception (Medium: Success): A familiar sounding scream, a Human one.
Ritsuka: "Someone needs our help."
Mash would nod and take the lead, and eventually leading to an unexpected sight.
Ophelia: "Director?! I thought-"
The Director of Chaldea would hear Ophelia's voice, and dash toward your location, not even giving pause to throw a hateful look at you as she sees you.
Director: "Never mind what you thought, take care of the beasts and We'll talk later!"
Running After Olga would be a bunch of skeletons, three of them, meaning that whatever you fought before probably wasn't a one off thing.
Vibes (Medium: Success): The sound of the feet hitting the ground, hard fast, they have tunnel vision and don't even notice you.
It's barely a whisper but it's better than nothing.
Inland Empire (Medium: Success): Whatever Olga did must've pissed them off, perhaps a faux pass in whatever skeleton language they speak? regardless they are going to be hitting harder and defending less.
Ritsuka: "They're After the Director! Mash, try uh...making an opening for Ophelia's knight to exploit."
This battle..didn't really go over as easy as the last one, given that there are three of them and only two real fighters in your group. But you eventually see the skeletons defeated.
The Director: "Alright...Now..that that's taken care of..."
Olga Marie takes a couple deep breathes, no doubt tired from being chased by skeletons.
Endurance (Hard: Failure): Something you could relate to considering your own lack of Athleticism.
Director: "What the hell is going on. why is HE here? Why does he have command seals? where is the rest of Team A?"
She would ask Mash and Ophelia, seemingly not caring at all that Mash is a Demi-Servant.
Mash: "Well, After the explosion in the command room Senpai rushed in to help, and freed Ophelia from her coffin. the Rayshift program started and moved everyone outside of a coffin here."
Director: "Well that explains how HE got here and why I'm also here. But other than making himself surprisingly useful that doesn't explain why he is a Master. Aren't they supposed to be first class mages, and HE clearly isn't one. What did he do? did he beg you? promise you something he clearly can't deliver on?"
Empathy: Romani wasn't lying, you left a really bad impression on her. it's a little alleviated by the fact that you helped a member of Team A, but that only raised her opinion of you up by well, a little.
Mash: "No, Roman said that it would be for the best that-"
Director: "Romani's in charge?! Alright put him on then, I have some choice words for him."
Empathy (Medium: Success): and just like that all her frustration at you is gone, well no not gone, but shifted into the better target of one Dr. Romani Archaman.
Ritsuka: Well I'm glad her frustration with me is gone but still, Poor Roman.
Empathy: He is, for better or worse, used to it by now. or at least he should be.
Ophelia: "About that...we can't. Not until we tap into the nearby Leyline. "
Director: "In that case, let's go then! the sooner he explains what's going on the better."
Mash: "About that...we're already here."
Director: "Ah. W-Well in that case we set up camp and our summoning circle. Mash I'm going to need to use your shield as the catalyst."
Mash: "Is that okay with you Senpai?"
Ritsuka: "I'll trust the experts on this."
Director: "Good. Ophelia since your our resident expert on Spiritual Evocation you'll help me make the circle. Afterwards I'll be collecting a report from Romani as you walk the Reserve Master Through the processes of summoning servants. Mash, Fujimaru, you two keep an eye out for any more of the skeleton horde no doubt prowling around this location."
Authority (Medium: Success): Though her words are tainted with her temper, her orders are clear and more importantly they make a good amount of sense. She really is the Director, and is making sure she deserves to be called as such.
So you do as she says, and afterwards, well Yeah, Roman makes contact, and she pulls him...his hologram at least, away to uh, talk in private, essentially leaving you with mash and Ophelia again.
Ophelia: "So..Miss Olga has tasked me with walking you through the summoning system. For starters You're going to want this."
She hands you a pouch full of strange stones.
Ritsuka: "What are these?"
Ophelia: "Saint Quartz, basically a custom made, extremely potent mana battery Chaldea came up with. Used for activating Summoning circles, and filling both yourself and your servants with life and energy. Until you can get used to having an open mana circuit you should use these to summon. After that...Well usually this is where we'd supply a catalyst but I don't think any of us have those. So then all we have to do is Chant. Are you ready?"
Ritsuka: "Wait before we do this what is a catalyst?"
Ophelia: "It's something used to make the summoned entity be the person you want it to be. Like, uh...an iconic replica of an object the Servant you want to summon owned, or the right place. I've heard some magus use concepts unique only to them to summon."
Inland Empire (Hard: Success): Oh! Idea, why don't we offer one of us up as the Catalyst?
Conceptualization (Challenging: Success): Wait that could actually work. Provided we count as something.
Encyclopedia (Challenging: success): You do remember your dad saying he was related to someone legendary. Though that was a few years ago.
Ritsuka: "Yeah I'm ready."
Choose two of the below to act as a Catalyst for the Summoning:
[] Rely on your Bloodline (Not a check but plays into Author bias/headcanon for Ritsuka's ancestry.)
[] Rely on your Logic (Medium Check: DC 10, summons a servant with a strong relationship to logic)
[] Rely on your Empathy (medium check DC 10, Summons a servant with the abilities to read or deeply empathize with others)
[] Rely on your Hand Eye coordination (DC 10, Summons a servant who has really good Aim)
[] Rely on your Endurance (DC 10, Summon a servant notoriously hard to kill)
[] ....Try for some Fellowship? (Challenging check DC 13, Summon a Servant who knows what your going through.)
[] Write in (Choose a skill, and what Servant you want to invoke. DC will be decided by me myself)
