Fate/Sunny Order (FGO)
- Thread starter Swordomatic
- Start date
Turing Decidable
𝕘𝕒𝕣𝕗
- Location
- Belgium
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The "fate worse than death" was having her soul bound to this chair, perhaps?
So RiyoGudako might have done one good thing in all of her wretched existence... Okay, two, cannot forget about Bunyan.
Dark Mage
Sanity is really overrated...
- Location
- Out of My Mind
If this was still the original story I would almost say Gilgamesh sending Kana into the Gates of Babylon would be training for her to go into Sheba.
But we will have to wait to see if Gilgamesh happens in the rewrite.
- Location
- Mons Regius
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Lots of people on here are confusing SHEBA for CHALDEAS, the actual thing Olga was sent into.
Reminder that this globe is CHALDEAS:
Reminder that this globe is CHALDEAS:
Anyone who knows what's happening in Melty Blood Back Alley Nightmare is unironically galaxy brained because it's a confusing mess. However, the manga never says what the little ghost Olga is, so saying it's her soul stuck in Tsuki is a bit of a leap. Especially as large parts of the story takes place in hyper realistic simulations of reality.
- Location
- The State with corrupt governors.
Are people trying to make sense of fate lore again?! We just fixed the last aneurysms!
- Location
- Mons Regius
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Fetishizing the lore of the Nasuverse as so hard to understand, even for little things, is bad actually 
- Location
- USA
Because that's antithetical to the human condition
- Location
- Singapore
Because it's not. And it's precisely because people don't bother trying that so many people retain misconceptions that have persisted since 2004.
The17thImmortal
Seeker of Sanity
That, and in just about every damn installment, we have to learn about the rules via an MC who's a blatant exception to them.
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
The whole 'exception that defines the rule' thing?
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
Understanding Nasulore is like understanding Kingdom Hearts -lore. Its alleged convolutedness is overblown, but it is hard to follow and learn about due to being told over multiple different pieces of media over the years in multiple different formats, and with lot of important information being revealed in things like material books, special leaflets you get from special events (which often are Japan only), magazines and interviews, which most of the time are not officially translated or brought over from Japan, forcing people to rely, at best, on fantranslations with very varying quality. And even official translations have issues that people fight over to this day.
Paleb05
A Believer of Optimism in the World
- Location
- Pennsylvania
And there are things that have been proven to be false multiple time that some ignore completely and will yell down anyone who tries to correct others.
- Location
- Singapore
I'm banning future discussion of the 'convoluted' nature of Nasuverse Lore now and forever.
Crusader Jerome
Subsisting on Supplication
- Location
- My home away from Rome
Amen. Can we get a threadmark?
- Location
- Mons Regius
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I was going to debunk the "aphorism" of "the MC break the rules", so RIP me
- Location
- Singapore
Post it and then its banned.I was going to debunk the "aphorism" of "the MC break the rules", so RIP me
EDIT: As in, I'll allow one post.
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OverReactionGuy
Verified Sanity
That's for the best.
- Location
- Mons Regius
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I was just going to point out that this:
Is pretty much an exaggeration if you list most protagonists.
Shiki Ryougi, Gun God, Shiki Tohno, Shirou Emiya, Aoko Aozaki, Kiritsugu Emiya, Hakuno Kishinami, Illyasviel Einzbern, Gudao, etc. either have powers working as advertised or explained by the "rules", or are in blatant alternate universes where said rules are different (as is the case with Illya).
What people usually mean by that is Shirou and what he can do, and even then it's iffy. He seemingly "breaks" the rules of Projection, but it's explained he derives his power from his Reality Marble...and the concept of Reality Marble is mentioned and explained in the prologue. It's not that Shirou broke the rules, it's that he was following a different one, which was foreshadowed since the beginning.
So unless I missed something it is vastly exaggerated. Except maybe for Hakuno who is thought to be a NPC gaining sentience or a Cyber Ghost before it's revealed their body is still "alive" on earth.
The17thImmortal
Seeker of Sanity
I never said that they "break" the rules of magecraft – I said that they are an exception to them.
As in, they aren't bound by those rules as regular magi are – whether that's due to having an ability that exists outside the bounds of what magecraft is supposed to be capable of (Reality Marble, MEoDP, True Magic), or else because they don't even qualify as magi in the first place (Gun God, Gudao, Hakuno), every single one of them is very much a "square peg looking at a round hole" when it comes to traditional magecraft. (Even Kiritsugu to a certain extent, though in his case it's more in the sense of "figure out the angles that magi can't account for, and attack them from those.")
And that colors our – the readers' – perception of and ability to comprehend magecraft. We're literally trying to figure it out, from an outsider's perspective twice over – of course magecraft is going to look highly confusing, from first or even second glance.
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- Location
- Philadelphia
As much as I do like the idea of saving Olga, I can understand why people so rarely go for it. Like looking at the Alien God, and the Alien Priestess and all the weirdness surrounding Olga and the Animusphere in general, it is impossible to understand or even take an educated guess on what exactly would happen to Olga if she were brought back to Chaldea through some kind of exploit, as well as the ramifications on the plot moving forward.
Like similarly we still don't really understand what Saber Alter's true goals were, and I'd like to give the author credit for drawing on canon(?) for the whole "Salter is being pointlessly obstinate" as a solution. It was also a really good fight, Medea being around as support did a good job selling Mash's ability to not be overwhelmed even though she's just starting out.
Like similarly we still don't really understand what Saber Alter's true goals were, and I'd like to give the author credit for drawing on canon(?) for the whole "Salter is being pointlessly obstinate" as a solution. It was also a really good fight, Medea being around as support did a good job selling Mash's ability to not be overwhelmed even though she's just starting out.
Harry Leferts
Suave Shadow Cabal Kaiju
So... Ritsuka and Kana decide to have a chat when exercising...
Rewrite Chapter 3.1: Breaks and Breaking Points
- Location
- Singapore
A/N: With my muse proving uncooperative for figuring out Accel Zero, I'll be focusing entirely on the rewrite from this point on. I'm not sure if I should move the prior chapters to another tab (probably a single bar under Apocrypha, or maybe Media for readability) but the Rewritten Chapters will now be moved to the Threadmarks tab shortly.
Incidentally, welcome back, Fou.
----
"So this is what humanity's last hope has been reduced to. A ruin on a mountain covered in snow and steel."
There was something impressive before the devastation, Medea had to admit. It was sterile and white and lifeless, like a solid block of marble, but it held promise. All it needed was the hand of an artist to make something great. And besides, it was always intended for military purposes. An organisation dedicated to the preservation of mankind's future was always going to be prepared to go to war.
And now it had gone to war, its foundations cracked, its masons killed, its architect murdered.
Yet, the woman dressed in colourful dress and finery laughed softly, a teasing rebuke to her pessimism. "It isn't quite so bad, my dear. Things are a little dire right now, but it could always be worse. The reactor in the basement could have gone supercritical and poisoned the facility with radiation!"
The use of modern terminology for a technology she had no context for was frustrating, but Medea held her tongue. The one she walked with was someone who embodied invention more than any other, her mind the sharpest blade ever born. History would record its meandering journey from discipline to discipline, still amongst the finest minds ever forged. "Being fated to fail slowly is not much of a consolation, Leonardo Da Vinci."
Again the woman with her laughed, as if she were humming to an unheard tune. She danced about her lightly, waving her staff about like a conductor's wand. "Ah, but we're not failing slowly," the great Inventor said, a bright gleam in her eyes. "This is not a war of resources, but one of spirit. And our enemies only think they've broken us. That certainty will lose them the war, I have no doubt."
She twirled back around and they continued walking, along hallways with flickering lights and past doors that no longer stood. Amidst the darkness, Medea pursed her lips with skepticism, trying to find the right words. "Your optimism is admirable," she ultimately said. "But I'll hold onto my doubts."
"Mm, that's fair. There is much work left to do, after all!" They stop suddenly before a door, one of the few that were still standing. The lights in this segment of the hallway were still on as well, not even flickering. "Anyways, these will be your quarters for your stay. Inside will be plenty of space for you to feel comfortable with, and you can establish a territory inside if you wish. If you want to establish one elsewhere, let me know! I'll do my best to accommodate."
Medea nodded. "What is FATE's stance on spatial distortions?"
"Mm, well, I don't personally mind, so you can do as you like! I understand the need for privacy, so don't worry about that. But if your bounded field starts infringing upon Chaldea's dimensional borders, please let me know if you need more space. If the regions intersect, it might result in a stray little-s singularity."
Medea opened the door, and within were some amenities. A bed, a dresser, some shelves for personal effects. They were clinical and modern, like everything else in Chaldea. But with some time, she could make this place hers. Ultimately, she nodded. "One last thing, Leonardo Da Vinci, if it is no bother."
"Ah, no problem at all! Please, call me Leo."
Medea nodded. "Are they well? My Masters."
"Medically speaking, both are fine. Kana could do with another night's rest, but if we had to go into another Singularity now, I'm sure they would be more than ready." Leonardo tilted her head, glancing off down a hallway. "But whether they are well is up to them. Indeed, are any of us particularly well? These are stressful times."
"Ones like us have gone through worse," Medea said with a huff. "But they are children."
"Children who have infiltrated Chaldea under false pretenses against the wishes of their parents because they wanted adventure. Children who resolved a major incident within twenty four hours of stepping into this facility. Children who have survived, where others did not. Others that even you might consider impressive, in fact." Leonardo's smile was wistful, but also resolute. "Are they the best we could have hoped for? Likely not; by my metrics, on their own they don't even qualify for Chaldea's B-Team. But will they prevail?" Leo laughed and started to walk away. "Well, we'll have to wait and hope, won't we? But I'm sure they'll do it as twins usually do: Together!"
----
"I am eating right now, Rits. Go bother someone else."
"I just want to know if you're alright!"
"Rits, we hugged. The moment's over. Get off my back, I'm eating cereal."
"I brought you that cereal!"
"Yeah, so let me eat in peace!"
Standing outside Kana Tohsaka's dormitory, Dr. Romani Archaman felt immensely guilty about eavesdropping on the siblings. This seemed like a family matter he should stay out of, and he would like to do nothing but. Yet, he had a job to do. The forecast from TRISMEGISTUS had returned a result and he needed to tell Chaldea's last Masters about the plan going forward. And for various reasons… He was the only one available.
Why did he let Mashu sleep in today? How did Leo weasel out of this to show Medea around the facility? He could do that! He might not be able to use any magecraft, but he knows his way around Chaldea! A-And he knows some of the terminology! He can strike up a conversation!
The man sighed heavily, for the chains of command were heavy and he had been awake for over twenty four hours by now. There was still work to do on clearing the rubble and taking stock. Everything was important and he had energy for none of that. And especially for none of this.
He started to turn around, but the furry monster on his head started tugging on his hair. Sharply.
For a cat-sized ball of fluff and lard it was unusually strong.
"Fou! Fou!"
"Ow! Stop that!" With tremendous strength he tore the little beast off his head and held it up to his face, scowling heavily. The terror looked back at him with an obstinate pout. "I'm trying, alright? But they're clearly dealing with some family stuff and I don't want to get involved!"
"Fou." Fou was unconvinced. "Fou-ou."
"...Okay, I know it sounds like sibling bickering, but are you sure?"
"Why won't you admit that you like Olga-Marie?"
"Why would I like her? I mean sure, she seemed nice enough. Maybe we could have been friends! But I barely knew her and she's dead so it doesn't matter."
"Woman, you were practically inconsolable yesterday. I haven't seen you so distraught since you thought mom was gonna give you away! Which was a pretty dumb thought, mind you, because mom would never give you away."
"I was eight!"
"Exactly! You haven't lost your shit since you were eight, so something definitely happened."
"N-Nothing happened! I'm fine! Meanwhile, you cried when you thought Mashu was going to die!"
"Mashu was going to die!"
"Yeah but she's fine now so why are you still crying?"
"I'm not crying, you're crying!"
"That doesn't even--"
Fou frowned at him. The message, though unsaid, was clearer than spring water.
"...Alright, fine." Planting Fou back on his head - because the little monster would climb back up either way - Roman breathed deep and held it. Maybe puffing up his chest will give him confidence. He turned around and placed one hand on the… Right, doors in Chaldea don't have door knobs, just touchscreens. Worked here for years, and he's still getting used to it.
He's distracting himself. Right, get it over with, Roman. He opened the door.
"Honestly, Kana, I'm giving you a rare opportunity to punch me in the face," Ritsuka said, seated on the end of Kana's bed with his arms crossed. "And you're just going to pass?"
Roman blinked. Things suddenly got uncomfortable. His eyes wandered, happened to meet Kana's. She looked at him with wide golden eyes, surprised to see him there. In an instant her eyes shifted away, then back to him.
Then Kana Tohsaka punched her brother in the face. It sounded like a pop, or a clap, but the reaction was immediate. Ritsuka fell off the bed clutching his face, moaning past his fingers as he curled into a ball.
A heavy weight suddenly found itself on Roman's shoulders and around his hips, rooting him to the ground. His bones seemed to creak at even the slightest twitch, groaning and yawning deafening in his ears. He watched, transfixed in awe, as Ritsuka moaned into the carpet of Kana's room.
"Jesus christ are you always ready to punch me?!"
"Aren't you?" Kana's gaze shifted back to Roman's, and she gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, Doctor. What do you need?"
Roman promptly closed the door. He picked Fou up again and met his eyes. "You saw that happen, right?"
"Fou, fou." The furry beast nodded. He seemed impressed, even. "Fou."
"Fratricide is nothing to be proud of!" He looked left and right, wondering if anyone was around to see that. No one, good. Then, Roman wondered what he could do - or should do. Hadn't this progressed beyond sibling roughhousing already? But was it still a family thing, or should he step in? Argh, he's not cut out for this at all!
Maybe he should just give up and--
Fou slapped him on the nose. It was light and didn't hurt, but it was distracting. "Fou!" It cried, and slapped him again. "Fou, fou!"
"...You're right. Priorities, Fou. Priorities!"
Fou slapped his forehead, but there was nothing more it could say. Roman planted it back on his head and opened the door once more. Just to be safe, he held the tablet under his arm out like a shield… Just in case. Ritsuka was on the bed again, hands clasped over his face, and Kana turned to him once more with a friendly smile.
Alright, Roman. You can still salvage this. Just say what you need to say!
"Please don't punch me in the face," Dr Romani Archaman, M.D., said.
God dammit, Roman.
Kana held the gaze for a few seconds. Then, her smile grew. "Why would I do that, Doctor?"
"...You just punched your brother. I-In the face."
Ritsuka turned around and lowered his hands to reveal a face that was neither punched nor in pain. "I don't remember being punched in the face," he said, an eyebrow raised. "Though, there was this time after midterms when this huge prick was talking a big game about going after--actually nevermind, Kana didn't punch me then either." He looked back at her. "Actually, did you ever punch me in the face?"
"Don't think so," she replied. "Might have been one time during a spar."
"Ah, yeah, I remember now. You punched out my front teeth."
"You roundhouse kicked me immediately after, so no revenge."
"Yeah yeah, I know."
Roman's eyes had gone hollow and sunken as he considered everything that had happened up to this point. He had quite clearly seen Kana punch Ritsuka in the face. He had rolled off the bed, over his head. That's the sort of thing that really hurts, so it couldn't have been an act. So were they lying, or was he going crazy? Ritsuka clearly didn't have injuries, so that left…
With dawning horror, Roman wanted to go to bed, tune in to Magi Mari, and cry himself to sleep.
Then, the twins chortled. "Alright, alright, I think we've gone too far," Ritsuka said. "Sorry about that, Doctor. But did you really have to eavesdrop?"
Roman blinked. What?
"We knew you were outside the whole time," Kana said with a shrug. "So the moment you opened the door on Rits offering to get punched in the face, well…" She shared a look with Ritsuka, then grinned. "I mean, I had to go for it."
Roman blinked. Then, he sighed in relief. "Oh, so that's what it was," he said with a nervous laugh. "Thank God, I was worried the two of you had unresolved drama and yesterday's incident brought it to the forefront."
Kana scoffed. "We're twins. We don't have unresolved drama."
"And even if we did, we're professionals," Ritsuka nodded. "We won't go at each other here."
Here, Fou perked up his head. "Fou, fou."
"...Well, fine, we're not professionals," Ritsuka admitted. "But it still wouldn't happen, Fou! Also, why is Fou on your head?"
"I have no idea," Roman replied, much-beleaguered.
"Ah! It's Fou! C'mere!" Kana simply spread her arms, gesturing with her fingers at the little monster, and Fou immediately leapt off the Doctor's head and into her embrace. The little monster seemed to enjoy the new resting place, and quickly curled up while Kana cooed at it. "D'aw, it's so cute."
"...Right." Pointedly ignoring where Fou decided to nestle, Roman turned over his tablet. "Anyways, I'm here to tell you about TRISMEGISTUS' findings. Our suspicions were right: There is a way to save everyone. But, it won't be easy."
Ritsuka's amused smile faded, and the eighteen year old boy frowned. It hurt Roman to have to remind them about it all - they were just kids after all, they deserved to be able to play around and have fun… But there simply wasn't the time for levity. Not after what happened. "It's down to us, isn't it?" Ritsuka asked.
Roman nodded. "As all of Chaldea's other Masters are in critical condition, our only options will be the two of you. I'll be performing both your medical assessments today - your physicals will be quick since I did a checkup yesterday, but I'll be handling your psych evaluations as well."
"We're fine, for the record," Kana said. "We got an evaluation before we got recruited."
Roman smiled kindly. "I know, but this is just to be sure. You will also be meeting Chaldea's chief administrator today to get accustomed to the summoning process and the other responsibilities the two of you have as Masters. Including," he added pointedly, "Summoning additional Servants."
"How's Medea doing?" Ritsuka asked. "Is she coping well?"
"She's settling into her quarters right now," Roman replied. "So far, there haven't been any complaints. But before all that," he sighed, "I will have to inform the two of you about Chaldea's new objective."
He activated the tablet, and above it appeared seven ghostly emblems, each marked by a different year on the Gregorian Calendar, and by a different alphabetical classification. The twins watched with their eyes widening as they were reminded of the gravity of the situation they were in.
"This is what we'll have to do before we can save humanity," Roman said, his voice unusually grave. "We've detected seven incursions into human history that must be resolved. Seven Singularities, Seven Orders. Each of them denotes an important event that has shaped human history as we know it. The loss of a single one will mean our defeat and the permanent extinction of mankind.
"This is Chaldea's first and greatest test: The Grand Order. And the two of you are our only hope of resolving it."
----
Incidentally, welcome back, Fou.
----
"So this is what humanity's last hope has been reduced to. A ruin on a mountain covered in snow and steel."
There was something impressive before the devastation, Medea had to admit. It was sterile and white and lifeless, like a solid block of marble, but it held promise. All it needed was the hand of an artist to make something great. And besides, it was always intended for military purposes. An organisation dedicated to the preservation of mankind's future was always going to be prepared to go to war.
And now it had gone to war, its foundations cracked, its masons killed, its architect murdered.
Yet, the woman dressed in colourful dress and finery laughed softly, a teasing rebuke to her pessimism. "It isn't quite so bad, my dear. Things are a little dire right now, but it could always be worse. The reactor in the basement could have gone supercritical and poisoned the facility with radiation!"
The use of modern terminology for a technology she had no context for was frustrating, but Medea held her tongue. The one she walked with was someone who embodied invention more than any other, her mind the sharpest blade ever born. History would record its meandering journey from discipline to discipline, still amongst the finest minds ever forged. "Being fated to fail slowly is not much of a consolation, Leonardo Da Vinci."
Again the woman with her laughed, as if she were humming to an unheard tune. She danced about her lightly, waving her staff about like a conductor's wand. "Ah, but we're not failing slowly," the great Inventor said, a bright gleam in her eyes. "This is not a war of resources, but one of spirit. And our enemies only think they've broken us. That certainty will lose them the war, I have no doubt."
She twirled back around and they continued walking, along hallways with flickering lights and past doors that no longer stood. Amidst the darkness, Medea pursed her lips with skepticism, trying to find the right words. "Your optimism is admirable," she ultimately said. "But I'll hold onto my doubts."
"Mm, that's fair. There is much work left to do, after all!" They stop suddenly before a door, one of the few that were still standing. The lights in this segment of the hallway were still on as well, not even flickering. "Anyways, these will be your quarters for your stay. Inside will be plenty of space for you to feel comfortable with, and you can establish a territory inside if you wish. If you want to establish one elsewhere, let me know! I'll do my best to accommodate."
Medea nodded. "What is FATE's stance on spatial distortions?"
"Mm, well, I don't personally mind, so you can do as you like! I understand the need for privacy, so don't worry about that. But if your bounded field starts infringing upon Chaldea's dimensional borders, please let me know if you need more space. If the regions intersect, it might result in a stray little-s singularity."
Medea opened the door, and within were some amenities. A bed, a dresser, some shelves for personal effects. They were clinical and modern, like everything else in Chaldea. But with some time, she could make this place hers. Ultimately, she nodded. "One last thing, Leonardo Da Vinci, if it is no bother."
"Ah, no problem at all! Please, call me Leo."
Medea nodded. "Are they well? My Masters."
"Medically speaking, both are fine. Kana could do with another night's rest, but if we had to go into another Singularity now, I'm sure they would be more than ready." Leonardo tilted her head, glancing off down a hallway. "But whether they are well is up to them. Indeed, are any of us particularly well? These are stressful times."
"Ones like us have gone through worse," Medea said with a huff. "But they are children."
"Children who have infiltrated Chaldea under false pretenses against the wishes of their parents because they wanted adventure. Children who resolved a major incident within twenty four hours of stepping into this facility. Children who have survived, where others did not. Others that even you might consider impressive, in fact." Leonardo's smile was wistful, but also resolute. "Are they the best we could have hoped for? Likely not; by my metrics, on their own they don't even qualify for Chaldea's B-Team. But will they prevail?" Leo laughed and started to walk away. "Well, we'll have to wait and hope, won't we? But I'm sure they'll do it as twins usually do: Together!"
----
"I am eating right now, Rits. Go bother someone else."
"I just want to know if you're alright!"
"Rits, we hugged. The moment's over. Get off my back, I'm eating cereal."
"I brought you that cereal!"
"Yeah, so let me eat in peace!"
Standing outside Kana Tohsaka's dormitory, Dr. Romani Archaman felt immensely guilty about eavesdropping on the siblings. This seemed like a family matter he should stay out of, and he would like to do nothing but. Yet, he had a job to do. The forecast from TRISMEGISTUS had returned a result and he needed to tell Chaldea's last Masters about the plan going forward. And for various reasons… He was the only one available.
Why did he let Mashu sleep in today? How did Leo weasel out of this to show Medea around the facility? He could do that! He might not be able to use any magecraft, but he knows his way around Chaldea! A-And he knows some of the terminology! He can strike up a conversation!
The man sighed heavily, for the chains of command were heavy and he had been awake for over twenty four hours by now. There was still work to do on clearing the rubble and taking stock. Everything was important and he had energy for none of that. And especially for none of this.
He started to turn around, but the furry monster on his head started tugging on his hair. Sharply.
For a cat-sized ball of fluff and lard it was unusually strong.
"Fou! Fou!"
"Ow! Stop that!" With tremendous strength he tore the little beast off his head and held it up to his face, scowling heavily. The terror looked back at him with an obstinate pout. "I'm trying, alright? But they're clearly dealing with some family stuff and I don't want to get involved!"
"Fou." Fou was unconvinced. "Fou-ou."
"...Okay, I know it sounds like sibling bickering, but are you sure?"
"Why won't you admit that you like Olga-Marie?"
"Why would I like her? I mean sure, she seemed nice enough. Maybe we could have been friends! But I barely knew her and she's dead so it doesn't matter."
"Woman, you were practically inconsolable yesterday. I haven't seen you so distraught since you thought mom was gonna give you away! Which was a pretty dumb thought, mind you, because mom would never give you away."
"I was eight!"
"Exactly! You haven't lost your shit since you were eight, so something definitely happened."
"N-Nothing happened! I'm fine! Meanwhile, you cried when you thought Mashu was going to die!"
"Mashu was going to die!"
"Yeah but she's fine now so why are you still crying?"
"I'm not crying, you're crying!"
"That doesn't even--"
Fou frowned at him. The message, though unsaid, was clearer than spring water.
"...Alright, fine." Planting Fou back on his head - because the little monster would climb back up either way - Roman breathed deep and held it. Maybe puffing up his chest will give him confidence. He turned around and placed one hand on the… Right, doors in Chaldea don't have door knobs, just touchscreens. Worked here for years, and he's still getting used to it.
He's distracting himself. Right, get it over with, Roman. He opened the door.
"Honestly, Kana, I'm giving you a rare opportunity to punch me in the face," Ritsuka said, seated on the end of Kana's bed with his arms crossed. "And you're just going to pass?"
Roman blinked. Things suddenly got uncomfortable. His eyes wandered, happened to meet Kana's. She looked at him with wide golden eyes, surprised to see him there. In an instant her eyes shifted away, then back to him.
Then Kana Tohsaka punched her brother in the face. It sounded like a pop, or a clap, but the reaction was immediate. Ritsuka fell off the bed clutching his face, moaning past his fingers as he curled into a ball.
A heavy weight suddenly found itself on Roman's shoulders and around his hips, rooting him to the ground. His bones seemed to creak at even the slightest twitch, groaning and yawning deafening in his ears. He watched, transfixed in awe, as Ritsuka moaned into the carpet of Kana's room.
"Jesus christ are you always ready to punch me?!"
"Aren't you?" Kana's gaze shifted back to Roman's, and she gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, Doctor. What do you need?"
Roman promptly closed the door. He picked Fou up again and met his eyes. "You saw that happen, right?"
"Fou, fou." The furry beast nodded. He seemed impressed, even. "Fou."
"Fratricide is nothing to be proud of!" He looked left and right, wondering if anyone was around to see that. No one, good. Then, Roman wondered what he could do - or should do. Hadn't this progressed beyond sibling roughhousing already? But was it still a family thing, or should he step in? Argh, he's not cut out for this at all!
Maybe he should just give up and--
Fou slapped him on the nose. It was light and didn't hurt, but it was distracting. "Fou!" It cried, and slapped him again. "Fou, fou!"
"...You're right. Priorities, Fou. Priorities!"
Fou slapped his forehead, but there was nothing more it could say. Roman planted it back on his head and opened the door once more. Just to be safe, he held the tablet under his arm out like a shield… Just in case. Ritsuka was on the bed again, hands clasped over his face, and Kana turned to him once more with a friendly smile.
Alright, Roman. You can still salvage this. Just say what you need to say!
"Please don't punch me in the face," Dr Romani Archaman, M.D., said.
God dammit, Roman.
Kana held the gaze for a few seconds. Then, her smile grew. "Why would I do that, Doctor?"
"...You just punched your brother. I-In the face."
Ritsuka turned around and lowered his hands to reveal a face that was neither punched nor in pain. "I don't remember being punched in the face," he said, an eyebrow raised. "Though, there was this time after midterms when this huge prick was talking a big game about going after--actually nevermind, Kana didn't punch me then either." He looked back at her. "Actually, did you ever punch me in the face?"
"Don't think so," she replied. "Might have been one time during a spar."
"Ah, yeah, I remember now. You punched out my front teeth."
"You roundhouse kicked me immediately after, so no revenge."
"Yeah yeah, I know."
Roman's eyes had gone hollow and sunken as he considered everything that had happened up to this point. He had quite clearly seen Kana punch Ritsuka in the face. He had rolled off the bed, over his head. That's the sort of thing that really hurts, so it couldn't have been an act. So were they lying, or was he going crazy? Ritsuka clearly didn't have injuries, so that left…
With dawning horror, Roman wanted to go to bed, tune in to Magi Mari, and cry himself to sleep.
Then, the twins chortled. "Alright, alright, I think we've gone too far," Ritsuka said. "Sorry about that, Doctor. But did you really have to eavesdrop?"
Roman blinked. What?
"We knew you were outside the whole time," Kana said with a shrug. "So the moment you opened the door on Rits offering to get punched in the face, well…" She shared a look with Ritsuka, then grinned. "I mean, I had to go for it."
Roman blinked. Then, he sighed in relief. "Oh, so that's what it was," he said with a nervous laugh. "Thank God, I was worried the two of you had unresolved drama and yesterday's incident brought it to the forefront."
Kana scoffed. "We're twins. We don't have unresolved drama."
"And even if we did, we're professionals," Ritsuka nodded. "We won't go at each other here."
Here, Fou perked up his head. "Fou, fou."
"...Well, fine, we're not professionals," Ritsuka admitted. "But it still wouldn't happen, Fou! Also, why is Fou on your head?"
"I have no idea," Roman replied, much-beleaguered.
"Ah! It's Fou! C'mere!" Kana simply spread her arms, gesturing with her fingers at the little monster, and Fou immediately leapt off the Doctor's head and into her embrace. The little monster seemed to enjoy the new resting place, and quickly curled up while Kana cooed at it. "D'aw, it's so cute."
"...Right." Pointedly ignoring where Fou decided to nestle, Roman turned over his tablet. "Anyways, I'm here to tell you about TRISMEGISTUS' findings. Our suspicions were right: There is a way to save everyone. But, it won't be easy."
Ritsuka's amused smile faded, and the eighteen year old boy frowned. It hurt Roman to have to remind them about it all - they were just kids after all, they deserved to be able to play around and have fun… But there simply wasn't the time for levity. Not after what happened. "It's down to us, isn't it?" Ritsuka asked.
Roman nodded. "As all of Chaldea's other Masters are in critical condition, our only options will be the two of you. I'll be performing both your medical assessments today - your physicals will be quick since I did a checkup yesterday, but I'll be handling your psych evaluations as well."
"We're fine, for the record," Kana said. "We got an evaluation before we got recruited."
Roman smiled kindly. "I know, but this is just to be sure. You will also be meeting Chaldea's chief administrator today to get accustomed to the summoning process and the other responsibilities the two of you have as Masters. Including," he added pointedly, "Summoning additional Servants."
"How's Medea doing?" Ritsuka asked. "Is she coping well?"
"She's settling into her quarters right now," Roman replied. "So far, there haven't been any complaints. But before all that," he sighed, "I will have to inform the two of you about Chaldea's new objective."
He activated the tablet, and above it appeared seven ghostly emblems, each marked by a different year on the Gregorian Calendar, and by a different alphabetical classification. The twins watched with their eyes widening as they were reminded of the gravity of the situation they were in.
"This is what we'll have to do before we can save humanity," Roman said, his voice unusually grave. "We've detected seven incursions into human history that must be resolved. Seven Singularities, Seven Orders. Each of them denotes an important event that has shaped human history as we know it. The loss of a single one will mean our defeat and the permanent extinction of mankind.
"This is Chaldea's first and greatest test: The Grand Order. And the two of you are our only hope of resolving it."
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