In order to use the axe the gun has to be pointed at the person holding it smh
Hereafter [Worm x Fate/Grand Order]
- Thread starter James D. Fawkes
- Start date
- Crossover
THANKYOU!
That thing is so damn dumb. How does one even aim it? It doesn't have sights! It's weight distribution is all kinds of off, it has a protruding handle sticking out the front for somebody to grab, and in order to use the axe portion for anything you have to flip the whole fucking gun and grab it elsewhere. The whole point of bayonets was so that soldiers didn't have to fumble with switching weapons when things got too close!
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rafuki22
Anti-nihilist(maybe).
- Location
- Earth/Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
...Wait, i was right?3 days for LB 7 part 2.
I wonder if something about Olga/Beast 7/Alien God deal will be revealed?
...
...Wouldn't it be funny if Olga surviving part 1 lead to an unavoidable bad ending?
What? No, I'm pretty sure Marisbury and CHALDEAS' scheme is the same one, hence Daybit's incessant focus on trying to stop them. The wildcard seems to be Olga, and the Crypters in general. Daybit notes that the only reason "we" (I think he means himself and the other Crypters) were given chance to strike back was due to Lev Lainur tossing Olga into CHALDEAS. The Fantasy Trees were the only thing that could feasibly prevent his ploy. It's very possible that CHALDEAS would bleach Earth no matter what happened at the end of 2017. Kotomine also notes that Olga was an "irregular God", meaning that she probably never was meant to be part of the CHALDEAS plan.
Presbyter: Rasputin, Atlas-slayer: Muramasa, Evil: Vitch?, Detective: Sherlock, Professor: Marisbury?, Count: Dante?
rafuki22
Anti-nihilist(maybe).
- Location
- Earth/Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Evil: Douman.
Professor: Moriarty.
Count: Unknown.(Probably Dantes, apparently there is evidence)
Professor: Moriarty.
Count: Unknown.(Probably Dantes, apparently there is evidence)
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rafuki22
Anti-nihilist(maybe).
- Location
- Earth/Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
@James D. Fawkes, what's your stance regarding the LB 7 spoilers?
Nasu masterfully spent years building up our understanding of the world, characters, and plot only to yank the rug out from under our feet in one chapter. I think it's safe to say that the minimum stance is "put it in spoiler tags."
James D. Fawkes
Court Scribe
- Location
- Avalon (Isle of Mists)
If it's not in the NA version of the game, then it should probably be in spoilers. That's a good rule of thumb, I think.
People were talking about Beast a page back
New sin revealed Oblivion
Sharing place with Beast 1
New sin revealed Oblivion
Sharing place with Beast 1
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rafuki22
Anti-nihilist(maybe).
- Location
- Earth/Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah, found it. Mentioned surprisingly early. Daybit is not part of humanity since the Angelic Artifact swampman'd him, so he can't summon his own Servants. So he beat his version of 7 Singularities without Servants. Which is really weird because his relationship with Tezcatlipoca shows he can contract the ones he finds. Wait for more context on this one, there should be an extra explanation I haven't found yet.
We got a decent amount of Daybit here. We race him to get to ORT first, and along the way, we're shown his backstory and motivations. And don't get me wrong, I genuinely like what we got quite a lot. His father may have been erased from history, but he still sticks very firmly to the main lesson he got from him. That every person is honestly trying to do what's best, it's just that often we have very wrong ideas about what the best thing to do is. He's Fujimaru's and Marisbury's enemy, but he applies this philosophy thoroughly, seeing even the good in Marisbury's goal to ensure Human Order is safe on a permanent level.
But since he was obliterated and unobliterated by his father's angel halo, he sees humanity from a cosmic perspective. He knows that if Human Order is secured by Marisbury's methods, humanity will be forever regarded as the worst form of intelligent life in the universe, and he honestly considers that destroying the planet is a better alternative to the damage the Animusphere plot is going to do to our cosmic reputation. But Fujimaru is also someone trying to do what's best like everyone else, so Daybit fairly equips and instructs them to stop the Animusphere plot in his stead if he loses.
Later Daybit manages to offer U-Olga's heart to awaken ORT. He was keeping it on his own ribcage so he dies there. Later when the Lostbelt is disappearing, Fujimaru is transported to chapter 2's Mictlampa to officially get the Master credentials back and Daybit is there. Tezcatlipoca explains that his Mictlampa is not a permanent afterlife. It's the place he offers to those who lost in battle to rest before their next chance of victory on the battlefield comes. A "spa of the soul", as he puts it. The whole scene is as clear as it can be without being explicit that Daybit will be back.
And finally, the opinion I wanted to deliver with this post is... this didn't feel like Anastasia. What I mean with this is that Kadoc's character arc continues past Anastasia, to great effect particularly in Traum, but it still felt like Anastasia was Kadoc's chapter. Meanwhile, the ultimate sensation I've been left with here is Daybit's chapter hasn't happened yet. It wasn't Nahui Mictlan. It's going to be the South Pole chapter or Fuyuki if that's a separate thing.
But since he was obliterated and unobliterated by his father's angel halo, he sees humanity from a cosmic perspective. He knows that if Human Order is secured by Marisbury's methods, humanity will be forever regarded as the worst form of intelligent life in the universe, and he honestly considers that destroying the planet is a better alternative to the damage the Animusphere plot is going to do to our cosmic reputation. But Fujimaru is also someone trying to do what's best like everyone else, so Daybit fairly equips and instructs them to stop the Animusphere plot in his stead if he loses.
Later Daybit manages to offer U-Olga's heart to awaken ORT. He was keeping it on his own ribcage so he dies there. Later when the Lostbelt is disappearing, Fujimaru is transported to chapter 2's Mictlampa to officially get the Master credentials back and Daybit is there. Tezcatlipoca explains that his Mictlampa is not a permanent afterlife. It's the place he offers to those who lost in battle to rest before their next chance of victory on the battlefield comes. A "spa of the soul", as he puts it. The whole scene is as clear as it can be without being explicit that Daybit will be back.
And finally, the opinion I wanted to deliver with this post is... this didn't feel like Anastasia. What I mean with this is that Kadoc's character arc continues past Anastasia, to great effect particularly in Traum, but it still felt like Anastasia was Kadoc's chapter. Meanwhile, the ultimate sensation I've been left with here is Daybit's chapter hasn't happened yet. It wasn't Nahui Mictlan. It's going to be the South Pole chapter or Fuyuki if that's a separate thing.
No offense, but are you sure about the translation of the line about the conquistadors in Tezcatlipoca's profile? Because claiming that an Aztec god approved of the colonizatoon of mesoamerica by the spanish honestly sounds shockingly offensive.
There are a few things where I'm a bit unsure of how I translated it, that's not one of them. I guess it's an interpretation of him being an 'enemy of both sides', as insensitive as it is.
I can give the Japanese text another look over when I have the chance.
The word used is 'hyouka' (評価), which I think in this case circles around to 'acknowledges the value of', if I'm interpreting it right. So 'appreciates' wasn't entirely the right word in that context. My bad.
There are a few things where I'm a bit unsure of how I translated it, that's not one of them. I guess it's an interpretation of him being an 'enemy of both sides', as insensitive as it is.
I can give the Japanese text another look over when I have the chance.
The word used is 'hyouka' (評価), which I think in this case circles around to 'acknowledges the value of', if I'm interpreting it right. So 'appreciates' wasn't entirely the right word in that context. My bad.
What? No, I'm pretty sure Marisbury and CHALDEAS' scheme is the same one, hence Daybit's incessant focus on trying to stop them. The wildcard seems to be Olga, and the Crypters in general. Daybit notes that the only reason "we" (I think he means himself and the other Crypters) were given chance to strike back was due to Lev Lainur tossing Olga into CHALDEAS. The Fantasy Trees were the only thing that could feasibly prevent his ploy. It's very possible that CHALDEAS would bleach Earth no matter what happened at the end of 2017. Kotomine also notes that Olga was an "irregular God", meaning that she probably never was meant to be part of the CHALDEAS plan.
Romani Archaman: ...
Rasputin: What a surprise. I'm honored to have you see me off, Romani Archaman. "If mankind is able to excise all seven Lostbelts, then I will finally acknowledge you as an enemy." So, how do you feel now that your words have been fulfilled? Even if the "enemy" you mentioned came to mean "an enemy of CHALDEAS" in this case.
Romani Archaman: Indeed. I was wondering whether or not those who bear the name of Chaldea could see CHALDEAS as their enemy. I thought it would be impossible. It's in the nature of humans to conceal the darker side of their organizations. However--- They do not seem to be the Chaldea I know. This "Novum" Chaldea... I suppose they're a brand-new Human Order Security Organization, one meant to demolish Marisbury's Grand Order.
Rasputin: I see. This is a grim state of affairs. The Alien World's plan was only ever to have them excise all of the Lostbelts. Never had I thought that a rival organization would be formed after the fact. I must make haste in order to seek instructions from the Alien World.
Romani Archaman: Are you not going to try to recover the Alien God you lost? As far as I could tell, even if her Saint Graph has shattered into pieces, some small parts of it do remain. If you managed to scrounge up all of it, you would be able to restore her, even if only as a defective and soulless shell of her former self.
Rasputin: That would not be my task. Personally, I think it would be best to let her rest, but--- Let's see... were it up to the other available Apostle—the Count, then he would put her to cruel use.
Romani Archaman: So there really were seven Apostles of the Alien World. Three to monitor and supervise the Crypters on the Lostbelt side: the presbyter, the Atlas-slayer, and the evil personified. Three to monitor and guide Chaldea: the detective, the professor, and the count. And lastly, the God, their leader. Even if Olga Marie herself probably did not know that she was actually a Servant.
Rasputin: There was no need for her to know. She was nothing more than an unpredicted god born on the Alien World. For her to die heroically without ever knowing the truth surely must have served as some measure of salvation.
Romani Archaman: Brazen words coming from someone who induced her to do so. In any case, there are two Apostles left, including you. Can you stop Chaldea?
Rasputin: That goes without saying. I wouldn't have let the ship leave so easily otherwise. But then again, it is not our place to put a stop to them. They themselves are their own stumbling block. If they cannot reckon with what they've accumulated so far, they will surely be put to judgment by Human Order itself---[end of chapter]
Rasputin: What a surprise. I'm honored to have you see me off, Romani Archaman. "If mankind is able to excise all seven Lostbelts, then I will finally acknowledge you as an enemy." So, how do you feel now that your words have been fulfilled? Even if the "enemy" you mentioned came to mean "an enemy of CHALDEAS" in this case.
Romani Archaman: Indeed. I was wondering whether or not those who bear the name of Chaldea could see CHALDEAS as their enemy. I thought it would be impossible. It's in the nature of humans to conceal the darker side of their organizations. However--- They do not seem to be the Chaldea I know. This "Novum" Chaldea... I suppose they're a brand-new Human Order Security Organization, one meant to demolish Marisbury's Grand Order.
Rasputin: I see. This is a grim state of affairs. The Alien World's plan was only ever to have them excise all of the Lostbelts. Never had I thought that a rival organization would be formed after the fact. I must make haste in order to seek instructions from the Alien World.
Romani Archaman: Are you not going to try to recover the Alien God you lost? As far as I could tell, even if her Saint Graph has shattered into pieces, some small parts of it do remain. If you managed to scrounge up all of it, you would be able to restore her, even if only as a defective and soulless shell of her former self.
Rasputin: That would not be my task. Personally, I think it would be best to let her rest, but--- Let's see... were it up to the other available Apostle—the Count, then he would put her to cruel use.
Romani Archaman: So there really were seven Apostles of the Alien World. Three to monitor and supervise the Crypters on the Lostbelt side: the presbyter, the Atlas-slayer, and the evil personified. Three to monitor and guide Chaldea: the detective, the professor, and the count. And lastly, the God, their leader. Even if Olga Marie herself probably did not know that she was actually a Servant.
Rasputin: There was no need for her to know. She was nothing more than an unpredicted god born on the Alien World. For her to die heroically without ever knowing the truth surely must have served as some measure of salvation.
Romani Archaman: Brazen words coming from someone who induced her to do so. In any case, there are two Apostles left, including you. Can you stop Chaldea?
Rasputin: That goes without saying. I wouldn't have let the ship leave so easily otherwise. But then again, it is not our place to put a stop to them. They themselves are their own stumbling block. If they cannot reckon with what they've accumulated so far, they will surely be put to judgment by Human Order itself---[end of chapter]
Checked and yeah, both of them had their dates shifted. We didn't get this confirmation on when Pan-Human ORT arrived, but I'm also no longer seeing any reason to believe this part of the old lore changed.
That's very unnecessarily convoluted though. All the story needed was Malla arriving before ORT this time, so why not shift only Malla to 300mi and keep ORT always as the K-Pg meteor?
To be a hero.
The living Olga Marie was a person raised being told she was meant to continue the Animusphere struggles to secure Human Order. She prepared all she did to do so and died before she had the chance. U-Olga makes a few comments in part 1 about instinctively knowing her own absence in Chaldea's stories above the Grand Order and in the same conversation she makes the promise to save the world with them when given the chance. And so she does, by giving all she had to defeat ORT. Olga Marie achieved her greatest and died a hero. That's why Kotomine says it's best not to rebuild her. She already got the best ending she could get.
On a more overarching level, I think she's meant to play into the priestess's motivations. As I'm currently interpreting it, the priestess must be the CHALDEAS-native version of Olga Marie. Again all expectations, Earth's Olga Marie's body got thrown into CHALDEAS and deified, but the priestess should be unrelated to that. I see her as the "proper" version of Olga from a normal reflection of 2117 Earth. An Olga after the completion of whatever ritual she was created for. And this priestess appearances in Nahui Mictlan have been clearly placed in key moments where U-Olga is being happy and loved by her companions. U-Olga is ultimately an overpowered version of Olga that achieved everything the original wanted. And my expected final boss is sure to have ugly opinions about that.
No. Flesh and blood human that Tezcatlipoca's Authority created out of mud and Moctezuma's soul. Since the goal was to make ORT crush CHALDEAS, the new core they'd install on him needed to be someone with strong ideologies and unwavering hatred for Pan-Human History, hence the choice of Moctezuma and all the ideological grooming that lead to Izcalli's constant opinion rants as you saw in part 1. His scar is something he was born with because Moctezuma was stoned to death.
That's very unnecessarily convoluted though. All the story needed was Malla arriving before ORT this time, so why not shift only Malla to 300mi and keep ORT always as the K-Pg meteor?
To be a hero.
The living Olga Marie was a person raised being told she was meant to continue the Animusphere struggles to secure Human Order. She prepared all she did to do so and died before she had the chance. U-Olga makes a few comments in part 1 about instinctively knowing her own absence in Chaldea's stories above the Grand Order and in the same conversation she makes the promise to save the world with them when given the chance. And so she does, by giving all she had to defeat ORT. Olga Marie achieved her greatest and died a hero. That's why Kotomine says it's best not to rebuild her. She already got the best ending she could get.
On a more overarching level, I think she's meant to play into the priestess's motivations. As I'm currently interpreting it, the priestess must be the CHALDEAS-native version of Olga Marie. Again all expectations, Earth's Olga Marie's body got thrown into CHALDEAS and deified, but the priestess should be unrelated to that. I see her as the "proper" version of Olga from a normal reflection of 2117 Earth. An Olga after the completion of whatever ritual she was created for. And this priestess appearances in Nahui Mictlan have been clearly placed in key moments where U-Olga is being happy and loved by her companions. U-Olga is ultimately an overpowered version of Olga that achieved everything the original wanted. And my expected final boss is sure to have ugly opinions about that.
No. Flesh and blood human that Tezcatlipoca's Authority created out of mud and Moctezuma's soul. Since the goal was to make ORT crush CHALDEAS, the new core they'd install on him needed to be someone with strong ideologies and unwavering hatred for Pan-Human History, hence the choice of Moctezuma and all the ideological grooming that lead to Izcalli's constant opinion rants as you saw in part 1. His scar is something he was born with because Moctezuma was stoned to death.
Given the reveals about U-Olga and the fact that her class was consistently labeled as Unknown for the bulk of LB7, it seems plausible to me that she was never really Beast VII at all.
Remember how the Lahmu and Bel Lahmu had Tiamat's Beast II designation? U-Olga may have possessed it for a similar reason- as a catspaw for the Alien World/Marisbury, she inherited the Beast VII class from them.
It also explains the Nega-Chaldea skill to a better degree while opening a way to work around it. As the founder of Chaldea and one of the people responsible for much of its technology, Marisbury would know more about the organization than anyone else. However, as Rasputin unintentionally reveals neither he nor the Alien World expected the possibility that Chaldea's views of what it means to protect Human Order would diverge from his own in such a way that it would effectively become a new organization. The quote about us being "judged by human order" however is worrisome. Could he have some means of Alaya's Counter Force?
Remember how the Lahmu and Bel Lahmu had Tiamat's Beast II designation? U-Olga may have possessed it for a similar reason- as a catspaw for the Alien World/Marisbury, she inherited the Beast VII class from them.
It also explains the Nega-Chaldea skill to a better degree while opening a way to work around it. As the founder of Chaldea and one of the people responsible for much of its technology, Marisbury would know more about the organization than anyone else. However, as Rasputin unintentionally reveals neither he nor the Alien World expected the possibility that Chaldea's views of what it means to protect Human Order would diverge from his own in such a way that it would effectively become a new organization. The quote about us being "judged by human order" however is worrisome. Could he have some means of Alaya's Counter Force?
I speculate that the Alien God originally doesn't need an identity, or even humanoid form, but then Olga getting thrown to CHALDEAS leads to it assuming her identity and form.
Then, we learnt that OG Chaldea's purpose is to excise every Lostbelts in the bleached world. It's originally thought that with Wodime being offered a second chance in exchange for a Lostbelt for AG to descend to, but it seems to be a ploy, since what's the purpose of growing a Lostbelt, only to be destroyed? And it gets more complicated with Wodime demanding his friends to get the same chance as him, causing seven Lostbelts in total. Another note, now we know from Kadoc that Daybit could possibly be not revived along with the rest, which then explains why Wodime's simulation doesn't include him as his possible companion. Daybit is the only one privy of Marisbury's Grand Order, and so acted against it with what he has.
Then there's Young Moriarty's claim of opposing Alien God's plan, meaning U-Olga's, in accordance to Alien World's instructions. This means during Traum is when Alien World deemed that U-Olga had served her purpose, and so no longer necessary. Other Apostles like Rasputin simply play along with her while their true loyalty lies in Alien World, AKA CHALDEAS. Now why would Rasputin let her about to kill them all back in Olympus? Possibly, he needed to put on the act that U-Olga is their leader until the bitter end, distracting both her and Chaldea from the real mastermind, which is Alien World.
This is all speculation I could think of, but then I only have partial knowledge from LB7, and still unsure how accurate it is. This all might change as I read further with proper translations.
Then, we learnt that OG Chaldea's purpose is to excise every Lostbelts in the bleached world. It's originally thought that with Wodime being offered a second chance in exchange for a Lostbelt for AG to descend to, but it seems to be a ploy, since what's the purpose of growing a Lostbelt, only to be destroyed? And it gets more complicated with Wodime demanding his friends to get the same chance as him, causing seven Lostbelts in total. Another note, now we know from Kadoc that Daybit could possibly be not revived along with the rest, which then explains why Wodime's simulation doesn't include him as his possible companion. Daybit is the only one privy of Marisbury's Grand Order, and so acted against it with what he has.
Then there's Young Moriarty's claim of opposing Alien God's plan, meaning U-Olga's, in accordance to Alien World's instructions. This means during Traum is when Alien World deemed that U-Olga had served her purpose, and so no longer necessary. Other Apostles like Rasputin simply play along with her while their true loyalty lies in Alien World, AKA CHALDEAS. Now why would Rasputin let her about to kill them all back in Olympus? Possibly, he needed to put on the act that U-Olga is their leader until the bitter end, distracting both her and Chaldea from the real mastermind, which is Alien World.
This is all speculation I could think of, but then I only have partial knowledge from LB7, and still unsure how accurate it is. This all might change as I read further with proper translations.
Apparently there are Dead Apostle deinos?
Clock Tower Department of Lore™
Kadoc: When someone from the world of magecraft says "Association" they mean three camps. The Atlas Institute in Egypt. The Wandering Sea in the North Sea. And finally, the largest among them, the Clock Tower in London. Generally, when people say "Mages Association", they're talking about this one. Within the Clock Tower, there are 13 Departments. The Departments of General Fundamentals, Individual Fundamentals, Spiritual Evocation, Mineralogy, Zoology, Lore, Botany, Astromancy, Creation, Hexology, Archeology, Policies, and finally, established only 200 years ago, Modern Magecraft. Chaldea is an organization founded by Marisbury Animusphere, the Lord of Astromancy. So naturally, the mages in Chaldea are from there. 80% from the Department of Astromancy, with 20% having been scouted from elsewhere, I suppose. The leader of the A-Team, Kirschtaria, was obviously a young genius from the Department of Astromancy. And the one said to rival Kirschtaria's genius was Daybit, hailing from the Department of Lore.
Koyanskaya: The Department of Lore... So, a place conducting research and compilation of myths and legends? That would seem to have quite the close relationship to Servants, would it not?
Goredolf: At first, I thought the same thing. Haha, this is what always trips up the laymen. You see, Servants are familiars who take spiritual form. As such, they fall under the Department of Evocation. The Department of Lore, on the other hand, was categorized by the Headmaster of the Clock Tower, Brishsan. They're the department that researches exoanthropic angels and devils. And these have absolutely nothing to do with legends and heroes, really.
Koyanskaya: If they're researching angels and devils, doesn't that mean they're somewhat involved with Servants anyway? Those are both phenomena that are part of legend. For example, the Divine Spirit from the Kojiki used as my primary source is a——
Kadoc: That's not the same, Koyanskaya... The Departments of Individual Fundamentals, Evocation, Astromancy, and Archaeology deal with different countries' mythologies as well. As shared principles and disciplines established by mankind. Therefore, the angels and demons that appear in all different mythologies are common knowledge among magi. The Mages Association is an organization that treats human history itself as one system of lore and is trying to expand upon it. For the Association, the lore of mythologies equals common knowledge. It's not something studied by just one department. Within such an organization, if there is something that's truly treated as "lore", then it would have to be existences that ascend beyond common knowledge. In all likelihood——the Department of Lore deals with substances not from Earth. Super-artifacts scattered around Earth since time immemorial, spoken of in no mythologies, and tinctured by unknown laws: OOParts. Even within the world of magecraft, where angels and devils are treated as common knowledge, these "angels" and "devils" are treated as taboo. In other words, they're "threats to mankind". It's the Department of Lore that is charged with discovering, investigating, and storing them. The other departments also contribute to mankind, but the Department of Lore exists for the purpose of quarantining things of exoanthropic nature. This is also why the Headmaster is the Lord of Lore. An ordinary mage born in the common era could never hope to control it.
Goredolf: Indeed. They're the select few under the Headmaster's direct command. They're often called an elite squad, but that couldn't be further from the truth. People assigned there can never enjoy a successful career. They are slaves who'll have to devote their lifetimes to decoding extraterrestrial threats. It's not a department you can so easily quit, but the Animusphere must have scouted Daybit personally. If a Lord directly talks to someone, then not even the Headmaster could so easily refuse them.
Kadoc: Not in this case. The Animuspheres had nothing to do with it. Publicly, it was widely rumored that he was banished, but as a matter of fact, he actually left of his own volition. It's most likely that he did receive an invitation from Former Director Marisbury, but he quit the Department of Lore on his own, and then entered Astromancy to join Chaldea.
Koyanskaya: The Department of Lore... So, a place conducting research and compilation of myths and legends? That would seem to have quite the close relationship to Servants, would it not?
Goredolf: At first, I thought the same thing. Haha, this is what always trips up the laymen. You see, Servants are familiars who take spiritual form. As such, they fall under the Department of Evocation. The Department of Lore, on the other hand, was categorized by the Headmaster of the Clock Tower, Brishsan. They're the department that researches exoanthropic angels and devils. And these have absolutely nothing to do with legends and heroes, really.
Koyanskaya: If they're researching angels and devils, doesn't that mean they're somewhat involved with Servants anyway? Those are both phenomena that are part of legend. For example, the Divine Spirit from the Kojiki used as my primary source is a——
Kadoc: That's not the same, Koyanskaya... The Departments of Individual Fundamentals, Evocation, Astromancy, and Archaeology deal with different countries' mythologies as well. As shared principles and disciplines established by mankind. Therefore, the angels and demons that appear in all different mythologies are common knowledge among magi. The Mages Association is an organization that treats human history itself as one system of lore and is trying to expand upon it. For the Association, the lore of mythologies equals common knowledge. It's not something studied by just one department. Within such an organization, if there is something that's truly treated as "lore", then it would have to be existences that ascend beyond common knowledge. In all likelihood——the Department of Lore deals with substances not from Earth. Super-artifacts scattered around Earth since time immemorial, spoken of in no mythologies, and tinctured by unknown laws: OOParts. Even within the world of magecraft, where angels and devils are treated as common knowledge, these "angels" and "devils" are treated as taboo. In other words, they're "threats to mankind". It's the Department of Lore that is charged with discovering, investigating, and storing them. The other departments also contribute to mankind, but the Department of Lore exists for the purpose of quarantining things of exoanthropic nature. This is also why the Headmaster is the Lord of Lore. An ordinary mage born in the common era could never hope to control it.
Goredolf: Indeed. They're the select few under the Headmaster's direct command. They're often called an elite squad, but that couldn't be further from the truth. People assigned there can never enjoy a successful career. They are slaves who'll have to devote their lifetimes to decoding extraterrestrial threats. It's not a department you can so easily quit, but the Animusphere must have scouted Daybit personally. If a Lord directly talks to someone, then not even the Headmaster could so easily refuse them.
Kadoc: Not in this case. The Animuspheres had nothing to do with it. Publicly, it was widely rumored that he was banished, but as a matter of fact, he actually left of his own volition. It's most likely that he did receive an invitation from Former Director Marisbury, but he quit the Department of Lore on his own, and then entered Astromancy to join Chaldea.
Btw, doesn't this basically confirms that Olga was Subject E? Not explicitly of course but...
It seems she remembered being experimented on
Google translation from me.
It seems she remembered being experimented on
Google translation from me.
Regarding the translation of 奏章 as "Memorial Chapter", someone pointed out to me that it doesn't make sense as a translation and I decided to dig more for better translations because I don't like being wrong.
As far as Twitter goes, most Japanese have no earthly clue what the word means. The Japanese term for "reporting to the emperor" is 奏聞. I think it's safe to interpret 章 as "chapter", given the context here. The meaning in Japanese is unambiguous and in Chinese, only one of its several interpretations involve the imperial memorial.
奏功, for example, means success, deriving from the sense of "presenting an achievement to the throne." Other compounds I can find are musical in nature. But a general interpretation is "presentation" or "performance." The kanji itself doesn't necessarily involve music, because 奏楽 is "performing music." 奏でる means to play an instrument or piece of music, but it's a transitive verb, so context is necessary for it to have a full meaning.
I agree now that Memorial Chapter is incorrect. But Performance Chapter or Presentation Chapter seems a much better translation.
As far as Twitter goes, most Japanese have no earthly clue what the word means. The Japanese term for "reporting to the emperor" is 奏聞. I think it's safe to interpret 章 as "chapter", given the context here. The meaning in Japanese is unambiguous and in Chinese, only one of its several interpretations involve the imperial memorial.
奏功, for example, means success, deriving from the sense of "presenting an achievement to the throne." Other compounds I can find are musical in nature. But a general interpretation is "presentation" or "performance." The kanji itself doesn't necessarily involve music, because 奏楽 is "performing music." 奏でる means to play an instrument or piece of music, but it's a transitive verb, so context is necessary for it to have a full meaning.
I agree now that Memorial Chapter is incorrect. But Performance Chapter or Presentation Chapter seems a much better translation.
Daybit says this:
So yeah, the ones who have been helping out Marisbury the most is Chaldea.
So yeah, the ones who have been helping out Marisbury the most is Chaldea.
From Petrikow in Beast's Lair
Marisbury
I'm glad you decided to show up on your own initiative. Welcome to Chaldea, Daybit.
Daybit
I've heard you were conducting some interesting research. And also that you were interested in my background.
It seems you're in need of a precise view capable of observing the universe in a way that mankind's current level of technology is incapable, am I correct?
Marisbury
Yes. I don't care for its contents, just the shape is enough. I'd like it to be as elaborate as possible.
But I don't need it to go outside the universe. 13.8 billion light-years will do, no more.
Your findings will be most helpful to me. I'd very much like you to cooperate with ensuring the Human Order.
Daybit
Ensuring the Human Order... the attestation of the future, or perhaps even its determination. That is indeed a righteous Order. But how, specifically?
Marisbury
Oh. So you can see that far ahead? I suppose I'll tell you then.
Could you keep this a secret from your other teammates?
...
And that encapsulates my objective. If you have any concerns, I'd like to hear them.
Daybit
I don't have any in particular right now. That said, don't you think the chances at success are exceedingly low?
The survival rates of the magi forming the cornerstone of the plan are far too low. Those who learn the truth will surely try to get rid of them.
And that includes the Counter Force. Nobody but me and Wodime would survive.
Marisbury
Which is why we're hiding it this way. From the Mages Association, from our fellow Chaldeans, and from the world as well.
In the upcoming Singularities that are part of the Human Order Restoration, the magi of the A-Team will not be Masters.
You will be concealers. Crypters. Will you keep that in mind?
Narration
It was at that moment that he decided on the Order he needed to fulfill. His plan to destroy Chaldea, even if it meant he had to destroy the planet as well.
Daybit Sem Void approaches things from a cosmic perspective.
He is neither a servant of the Alien God, nor is he fighting for the sake of the Human Order.
He did not need anyone to teach him that. He did not need anyone to be happy about that. Humans are simply beings that do good.
Even if it amounts to the same thing as a cold-blooded insect's instincts.
I'm glad you decided to show up on your own initiative. Welcome to Chaldea, Daybit.
Daybit
I've heard you were conducting some interesting research. And also that you were interested in my background.
It seems you're in need of a precise view capable of observing the universe in a way that mankind's current level of technology is incapable, am I correct?
Marisbury
Yes. I don't care for its contents, just the shape is enough. I'd like it to be as elaborate as possible.
But I don't need it to go outside the universe. 13.8 billion light-years will do, no more.
Your findings will be most helpful to me. I'd very much like you to cooperate with ensuring the Human Order.
Daybit
Ensuring the Human Order... the attestation of the future, or perhaps even its determination. That is indeed a righteous Order. But how, specifically?
Marisbury
Oh. So you can see that far ahead? I suppose I'll tell you then.
Could you keep this a secret from your other teammates?
...
And that encapsulates my objective. If you have any concerns, I'd like to hear them.
Daybit
I don't have any in particular right now. That said, don't you think the chances at success are exceedingly low?
The survival rates of the magi forming the cornerstone of the plan are far too low. Those who learn the truth will surely try to get rid of them.
And that includes the Counter Force. Nobody but me and Wodime would survive.
Marisbury
Which is why we're hiding it this way. From the Mages Association, from our fellow Chaldeans, and from the world as well.
In the upcoming Singularities that are part of the Human Order Restoration, the magi of the A-Team will not be Masters.
You will be concealers. Crypters. Will you keep that in mind?
Narration
It was at that moment that he decided on the Order he needed to fulfill. His plan to destroy Chaldea, even if it meant he had to destroy the planet as well.
Daybit Sem Void approaches things from a cosmic perspective.
He is neither a servant of the Alien God, nor is he fighting for the sake of the Human Order.
He did not need anyone to teach him that. He did not need anyone to be happy about that. Humans are simply beings that do good.
Even if it amounts to the same thing as a cold-blooded insect's instincts.
Not perfectly translated.
Daybit
Not only that, but there was also Lev Lainur's psychological manipulation. He made you dependent on him, creating a barrier between you and everyone else.
Up to that point, Goetia's machinations—the plot of the Demon Pillars—was perfect...
Nevertheless, even there, something which could be said to be far more miraculous were the feelings Lev Lainur had towards you.
If it wasn't for that, there would've never been a possibility for us to turn the tables. The King of Mages, Solomon—no, the King of the Demon Gods, Goetia.
At that time, he not only incinerated the Human Order, he also birthed the Defenders of the Human Order.
(Talking about the crypters?)
Not only that, but there was also Lev Lainur's psychological manipulation. He made you dependent on him, creating a barrier between you and everyone else.
Up to that point, Goetia's machinations—the plot of the Demon Pillars—was perfect...
Nevertheless, even there, something which could be said to be far more miraculous were the feelings Lev Lainur had towards you.
If it wasn't for that, there would've never been a possibility for us to turn the tables. The King of Mages, Solomon—no, the King of the Demon Gods, Goetia.
At that time, he not only incinerated the Human Order, he also birthed the Defenders of the Human Order.
(Talking about the crypters?)
テペウ
Tepeu
本物も偽物もない……
大小はともかく、形さえ合っていればいい……
It's neither the real thing nor a fake...
Setting aside the proportions, as long as the shape is the same...
木の中にある銀河など本物である筈がないというのに、
我々はあれを銀河と認識している……
Things like a galaxy inside a tree shouldn't be real, but we recognize that as a galaxy...
……『大樹の中に銀河がある』まではいい。
しかし、それが異聞帯の定礎ていそになるものでしょうか。
... "There's a galaxy inside a tree", that much is fine.
However, it's laying the foundation of the Lostbelt, right?
事実、空想樹であるＯＲＴが休止していたにも拘かかわらず、
ミクトランは存続していた。
The truth is, despite ORT, fused with a Fantasy Tree, being dormant, Mictlan continued to exist.
『銀河のエネルギーを利用している』のではない？
それはあくまで二次的なもので
It's "utilizing the energy of a galaxy", isn't it?
That's only secondary.
本筋として『銀河がなくてはいけない』のか？
あの木々は、銀河である事に意味があると……？
Is the point "it must be a galaxy"?
Is there significance in there being galaxies in those trees...?
Tepeu
本物も偽物もない……
大小はともかく、形さえ合っていればいい……
It's neither the real thing nor a fake...
Setting aside the proportions, as long as the shape is the same...
木の中にある銀河など本物である筈がないというのに、
我々はあれを銀河と認識している……
Things like a galaxy inside a tree shouldn't be real, but we recognize that as a galaxy...
……『大樹の中に銀河がある』まではいい。
しかし、それが異聞帯の定礎ていそになるものでしょうか。
... "There's a galaxy inside a tree", that much is fine.
However, it's laying the foundation of the Lostbelt, right?
事実、空想樹であるＯＲＴが休止していたにも拘かかわらず、
ミクトランは存続していた。
The truth is, despite ORT, fused with a Fantasy Tree, being dormant, Mictlan continued to exist.
『銀河のエネルギーを利用している』のではない？
それはあくまで二次的なもので
It's "utilizing the energy of a galaxy", isn't it?
That's only secondary.
本筋として『銀河がなくてはいけない』のか？
あの木々は、銀河である事に意味があると……？
Is the point "it must be a galaxy"?
Is there significance in there being galaxies in those trees...?
Name | Description |
| Revolution Web | The silver strings thought to be used by ORT for interstellar travel binds the Servants, disallowing them to escape at will. |
| Ether Drinker | Due to ORT's large-scale spatial interference, your magical energy is stolen. |
| Dark Matter Plankton | Due to the strange microbial life swimming through dark matter, your buff effects are absorbed by ORT. |
| Ernst Union | Due to the transmutation of ORT's metallic tentacles, attacks you take from it applies debuffs to you. |
| Galactica Supercell | Due the space storm generated by ORT, you continuously take damage during battle. It appears you can counter it by using skills that disable attacking. |
| Paradigm Inflation | Skills used in front of ORT are analysed, with their effects partially copied by it. In addition, it appears that the partial effects applied on ORT are multiplied. |
| Paradox Canceller | Due to ORT's high frequency self-purification process, its debuffs are disassembled and converted into attack buffs. |
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RoboRenee
Trans of gender
- Location
- FFXIV, probably
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Y'all we have whole threads to talk fate lore in.
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
Unless this is very specifically as relates to this fanfic, those would probably be a better place to have that talk.
Type Moon General
Since I didn't see one, here's a thread for discussion about the Fate Series (Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero, Fate/Extra, etc), basically any stuff from the Nasuverse. Discuss the shows, manga, ideas, characters, potential servants, all that good stuff. Now that that's out of the way, we all...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
Nasuverse and TYPE-MOON Fanfic Ideas thread
It took five years, but here it is: there is finally an actual thread for ideas of fanfics and crossovers involving the Nasuverse, the writings of Kinoko Nasu and the TYPE-MOON company (also known as Notes Co., Ltd.), including visual novels, games, mangas, animes, etc. ...I say all this, but...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com
Unless this is very specifically as relates to this fanfic, those would probably be a better place to have that talk.
rafuki22
Anti-nihilist(maybe).
- Location
- Earth/Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well, there is information regarding Olga and Chaldea that appears relevant.
Yeah, turns out Taylor saving Olga from getting Final Destinationed at the tanning salon might've doomed the world. Good job breaking it, hero. Oh well, there's an entire multiverse of multidimentional space parasites that might be able to throw some other spanner in the works this time.
RoboRenee
Trans of gender
- Location
- FFXIV, probably
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Would that constitute a spoiler perhaps? Something not in the NA version of the game yet maybe?
Eh, there's no context. Statement could mean anything.
Chapter LXXIX: Road to Recovery
James D. Fawkes
Court Scribe
- Location
- Avalon (Isle of Mists)
Chapter LXXIX: Road to Recovery
"One more step."
Marie looked at the floor, down at the cushioned mats that covered it, and at the distance that still separated us. Her knees shook from the effort of staying upright, and her face burned with the humiliation it took to manage just that alone. Her hands gripped the rails that helped her stay balanced so tightly that her knuckles stood out starkly against her already pale skin, a feat considering the sterile white lighting that lit the whole room.
"I hate this," she mumbled miserably. "This is so humiliating."
I know, I thought but didn't say. It had been humiliating for me, too, having to relearn how to walk again. The determination to get better had let me distract myself from the frustration and embarrassment of having something that was supposed to be so easy become so hard, but every stumble had carried the sting of failure that no amount of distraction could completely overcome.
"If I did it," I told her, trying to be encouraging, "then you can do it, too."
The guard rails she was using to support herself squeaked under her tightening grip. The blue padding was at least sturdy enough not to burst under the torment she was putting it through.
"That's right," she murmured, almost like she was talking more to herself than to me, "you had to do this sort of thing, too, didn't you?"
Months of it, after Gold Morning, which meant that I'd become very familiar with this private room adjacent to the main gymnasium and all the myriad forms of torture that it contained. Quite aside from what Contessa's bullets had done to my brain — and what I had done to it myself, by having Panacea mess around with my Corona — I'd been bedridden for weeks. There were a lot of things I'd had to relearn how to do in the aftermath of that. Walking was only one of them.
Marie closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and then took one more step forward. A look of triumph and victory dawned over her face, but it only lasted until she took her hands off of those guard rails, and then she started to tumble forward. Fortunately, that was what I was there for, so it was no effort at all to reach out, take hold of her arms, and steady her.
"Damn it," she cursed.
"You did well," I told her.
"At least I didn't fall flat on my face, you mean?" she bit back bitterly. "God! At least those two neophytes aren't here to see this!"
Then they might get to see their Director as a human being, and how terrible that would be. Not like they hadn't already gotten a taste of it when she woke up screaming her head off and sobbing about Lev's attempt to kill her.
"Technically, those two now have more experience than all the rest of Team A," I reminded her.
Something flashed in her eyes as she looked back up at me, hungry and proud. "Except for one."
I acknowledged that with a short incline of my head. I didn't know if it was the fairest assessment, since I was pretty sure that I was the one with the greatest amount of field experience on the entirety of Team A, but I could at least let Marie take pride in this much.
"They wouldn't think less of you," I told her quietly.
Her face twisted into a grimace. "It doesn't matter. I'm their boss, the Director of Chaldea. They shouldn't see me like this." She ducked her head, and quieter, she said, "I didn't want you to see me like this."
"You did it for me," I reminded her. "The least I can do is return the favor."
Her cheeks burned, and even the tips of her ears turned red. It wasn't strictly true, because she'd really been more like a harsh taskmaster demanding I give my best from the sidelines, but she didn't bother to correct me.
And even if it wasn't strictly true, that was only because she left it up to the professionals to treat me. She'd still been there the entire way, making sure I got the best treatment she could afford with the utmost discretion.
"Romani should be the one doing this," she mumbled.
"Romani is also still the Acting Director while you get back on your feet," I said. "Since he doesn't have the time to help you himself, of course he delegated it to someone who was willing and able."
And too stubborn to take no for an answer.
It wasn't like anyone had been chomping at the bit to get the chance to take my place, though. Of the remaining staff, the only one who was anywhere near as close to Marie as me was Romani himself. Everyone else was too far removed from her in the organization or too put off by her standoffish personality to have had the chance to get to know her the way I did.
Even if that hadn't been the case, I still would have volunteered. I owed her at least that much.
Her fingers dug into my wrists. "It's already been a week."
"And it takes longer than that," I reminded her again. "You should already know, this isn't something that happens overnight." I gave her arms a comforting squeeze. "But this isn't going to take forever either. You're just getting used to your body again, not relearning from scratch. Romani said it should only take about two weeks."
And we had already gotten her through the first one, I didn't say, because I didn't need to. She just had to get through one more, and by then, she should be able to walk on her own. Maybe not unassisted, but without someone half-carrying her or wheeling her along in a wheelchair.
Marie ducked her head. "It doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere," she murmured miserably.
"Compared to where I was after the first week?" I said. "You're already doing way better."
She didn't have a response to that. Or maybe she did, but she thought it sounded too petulant or childish to actually give voice to, so she simply didn't. It wasn't like she wouldn't have had a point if she said that my recovery had been harder because of how much more I'd had to piece back together, but by the same token, I hadn't had my soul transplanted into a new body after my old one got blown to pieces, so technically, she had it a whole lot worse than I had. She just had it easier because there wasn't actually anything wrong with her, she just had to get her new body used to moving around and carrying its own weight.
"Come on," I said as I lifted her back up and maneuvered her hands back onto the guide rails. "We should have enough time for you to get one more round in before the twins finish their daily lessons with El-Melloi II."
She grimaced. "Don't remind me! Ugh. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how he's supposed to work!"
"You've read my report —"
"The concept is understandable enough," Marie waved it off, quite literally lifting one of her hands as though to swat away a fly buzzing about, "it's the person that makes so little sense! Of all people who could be the host of a Heroic Spirit, why him?"
"Maybe it's just a matter of personal compatibility."
She blew a puff of air out of her mouth, and her bangs flopped about for a second over her forehead.
"The frustrating thing is, I can't refute that because he still hasn't told us the identity of the Heroic Spirit he's playing host to!"
I smiled a little as I walked around to the other end of the guide rails. It wasn't like it was hard to look up "Unreturning Formation" or "Stone Sentinel Maze" now that we were back at Chaldea, and it betrayed the fact that Marie had been so dogged about catching up as quickly as possible that she hadn't read the notes I'd attached to my report yet.
No need to bring that up right now, though. It would just embarrass her even more. She would get to that eventually.
"Okay." I set myself up at the opposite end of the guide rails. She looked back at me over her shoulder. "One more time, Marie."
Her lips pulled tight into a grimace, but whatever else Marisbury had done — as a man, as a magus, and as a father — he hadn't raised a quitter, and Marie turned herself around slowly and deliberately until she was facing me, then started the arduous journey from one side of the eight-foot rails to the other. Even when her knees shook and threatened to give out beneath her, she didn't let it stop her from making it across.
She probably would have preferred to go straight back to her room when we were done, but dinnertime was fast approaching and Romani had forbidden her from eating in her room. Privately, he'd told me that he wanted her out of her own head as much as possible, so I wasn't to let her take her meals anywhere else than the cafeteria, but to Marie, he'd said something about how much it would raise morale for the rest of the remaining staff to see their Director alive and well, if not fully recovered.
I suspected that was truer than he even realized.
Naturally, appealing to her responsibilities as the Director of Chaldea was the quickest and easiest way to convince Marie of a plan, if not necessarily the most guaranteed, so even if the idea of being pushed into the cafeteria in a wheelchair grated on her pride, she'd had to reluctantly agree.
The halls, of course, were all but empty, leaving us only the company of my echoing footsteps and the squeaks of the wheelchair's wheels. The day shift should have just traded off with the evening shift about an hour before, and the night shift were still in bed, so the day shift was probably getting dinner in so they could relax for a few hours before they had to climb into bed themselves — a bit of a funny way of saying six people were eating, six people were working, and six people were sleeping.
Halfway there, Arash materialized next to us mid-step, and Marie squawked, nearly startled out of her wheelchair.
"Afternoon, Ladies," he greeted us.
"You — how long have you been there?" Marie sputtered.
"The whole time," he answered simply. "Taylor is my Master, after all."
Marie's face cycled through a series of rapid emotions, going from surprised to horrified to furious and back again, like she couldn't decide whether she was supposed to be outraged or mortified.
"Was there something you needed?" I asked him.
He smiled. "That's what I was just about to ask you. Do you want me to pop on ahead and let Emiya know you're coming?"
"W-wait," said Marie, "you said — then you saw e-everything? All of it?"
"Was I not supposed to?" Arash asked. "I'm sorry, Director, I didn't mean to spy on you or anything. It's just that we Servants don't have much to do around here right now. Those of us who don't have a hobby just stick by our Masters. Keep an eye on things, you know?"
Marie's face turned a violent shade of red. "I-including when I had to… And when I was getting dressed?"
"Well, naturally, I stayed outside the room for that," Arash said smoothly. "If we need to watch our Masters during moments like those, Bradamante takes over. She says it isn't proper for a man to see a lady like that."
I almost missed the subtext in all of that. It was a very shrewd way of telling me without telling me.
"Th-that's not much better!" Marie protested. "You, haven't any of you heard of something called privacy?"
"I don't think they're watching us constantly," I told her calmly. I glanced over at Arash. "Here in Chaldea, I think we're safe enough that we don't need round-the-clock supervision."
Romani still has her under observation? I asked silently.
He wants to be sure she doesn't relapse, Arash answered. Or hurt herself by trying to do too much too soon.
I kept my reaction off of my face as I told him, I agree. At least until she can walk on her own again.
Arash dipped his head. "I understand."
"W-well, good!" Marie blustered. "There are some things you don't have the clearance to see! E-even Servants have to follow the regulations, you know!"
Arash bent forward into a shallow bow, smiling. "Of course, Madam Director."
"I can tell when you're patronizing me," Marie informed him sourly, scowling.
"No, no, I do understand," he assured her. "I was a soldier once. I only need to know what I need to know, right?"
She eyed him for a moment longer, like she was looking for any sign of dishonesty or mockery, and when she was satisfied, she settled back into her wheelchair. "At least someone in this organization understands operational security," she muttered.
Arash pretended not to hear her, and instead, he turned back to me. "I'll go tell Emiya to prepare meals for two more people, then, if that's alright with you, Master?"
"Go ahead."
Once more, he disappeared, leaving me alone with Marie again.
"He was your compatibility summon?" she asked me.
"Yes," I answered. "Our first field test of the summoning system inside the Orléans Singularity."
"The Hundred Years' War deviation, right," Marie said. "The one featuring this 'Jeanne Alter' character."
I let myself smile a little. Yeah, that sounded like Marie. Even though she was supposed to be resting and recuperating, she had spent that time catching up on what had been happening while she was…indisposed, so to speak.
"He could stand to be a little less cheeky," she groused. "But…he's a good match, I think. A strong Heroic Spirit."
I appreciated the sentiment, but I wished she would have phrased it a little less like she was my mother approving of the boyfriend I brought home.
"He is," I agreed neutrally. "Saved our lives a couple of times, too."
"And killed two Servants without taking a scratch," she added. For another second, she was silent, and then, quietly, she asked, "He wasn't who you were originally going for, was he?"
My lips drew tight. I'd made no secret of that to anybody, least of all Arash, but I'd never let on to anybody which Heroic Spirit I'd originally been hoping to get, back when we started lining up catalysts.
In truth, I didn't really know who I would have picked, just based upon who I thought I might work well with. Herakles and I might have been fairly compatible, being that we were both lateral thinkers, but the trouble with powerful heroes like that was that they were often mana hogs, so any advantage I might have had with him would have evaporated against the fact that I probably wouldn't be able to handle supporting him for more than a few minutes at a time.
Other than that and my pie-in-the-sky wishlist? There wasn't a particular Heroic Spirit I'd really been hoping for.
"No," I said, just as quietly, "but I'm glad he's the one who showed up anyway."
"Good."
Not too much later, we arrived at the doors to the cafeteria, and they whooshed open to admit us. I pushed Marie along, and the instant we were inside, all conversation stopped and everyone who was there eating turned to look. Under their scrutiny, the tips of Marie's ears turned red.
"Well?" she demanded. "What are you all staring at? Stop wasting your time gawking and finish your food!"
As though that was some great sign that she was alive, well, and (mostly) back to normal, the seven members of the staff who were in the cafeteria with us turned back to their meals so they could avoid the Director's wrath. Marie harrumphed and folded her arms, scowling at the whole world, so I wheeled her over to the nearest empty table and moved a chair out of the way for her.
"I-idiots," she mumbled lowly. "What am I, a circus attraction? Th-there's nothing unusual about this!"
I was about to go over to get us some food, but Emiya chose to bring the food to us instead, hefting a pair of trays, one on each arm. He still had one of those ridiculous novelty aprons on — I was convinced he had a stock of them that he rotated through, because it seemed to be a different one each day with a different phrase stitched into the front. This one featured a fork and read, "With prongs like these, who needs a recipe?"
"Special delivery," he told us. "A certain person told me to expect our illustrious Director to make an appearance, so I went out of my way to prepare a platter for you."
He set down another mouth-watering meal within Marie's reach, and then immediately opposite her, he set the second tray down, laden with the same exact food. Marie took a breath, and she couldn't seem to help herself but to take in the smell wafting up from her steaming tray. It was another chicken dish of some kind, although I didn't recognize it on sight.
One of these days, he was going to run out of new stuff to make. I just wasn't sure it would be anytime soon.
"I decided on something a little more Western today," he told us. "Thought I might shake things up a little. This one in particular is Greek."
Marie looked down at her tray critically as I took my seat across from her, eyeing her meal like she suspected him of lying. Or maybe poisoning it. She'd nearly thrown a fit the first time she saw him, until we explained how he wound up here and cooking our meals.
"Greek, huh…"
"If you've had it before, it might not be exactly the same," Emiya said. "I was a bit more limited with my ingredients, after all. I had to adjust the recipe to account for that."
"So you say."
Marie took up her utensils and started cutting into her meal, lifting the first bite — and stopped halfway to her mouth to shoot Emiya a withering glare.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch or something? It's creepy!"
"The customer's satisfaction is the greatest compliment a chef can receive," Emiya retorted without missing a beat. "I wanted to make sure you liked it, because my skill with Western dishes isn't as great as my talent with Asian recipes."
With a large, exaggerated motion, Marie bit off her first bite, had to stop for a second when the flavor hit her tongue, and then chewed it more sedately.
"Well?" Emiya asked once she'd swallowed.
"I-it's good!" she said huffily. "Now will you let me eat my meal in peace? I don't need everyone staring at me so much!"
"If the Director is pleased, then I'm sure Rika will enjoy it as well," Emiya said, nodding to himself. "Enjoy your meal, Director."
He turned around and went back to the kitchen, leaving us by ourselves. In all of the fuss, I'd started in on my own meal, and like always, Emiya had made something spectacular. The truly frightening thing was that when my tastebuds finally got used to eating so much high class, delicious food, going back to ration bars and mass-produced cafeteria fare was going to be torture.
"Seriously," Marie muttered angrily as she stabbed her fork into her food, "why can't everyone just mind their own business? They have more important things to be doing than gawking at me just because I'm in a wheelchair!"
"They're still getting used to having you back," I told her between bites. "Most of them probably thought you were gone for good."
I wasn't sure how much Romani had told them. It was entirely possible that he'd spread the knowledge that the Director wasn't permanently gone amongst the rest of the staff, but it was also possible that he hadn't wanted to commit to anything, so the only ones who had been in the know were those of us directly involved in bringing her back.
Then again, we weren't exactly in a private room when we first discussed the issue after Fuyuki. Anyone with ears who was paying attention to us must have heard that we had a plan to save her. Whether that made the rounds, well, I hadn't thought to ask.
Marie hunched in on herself a little. "They did, huh…"
"I wasn't around right after Fuyuki to say for sure," Arash said as he shimmered into existence in the chair next to me. Marie squeaked, startled, and jumped a little in her seat. "But I talked to a few people after we got back from Orléans, and it seems that most of them thought there wasn't any hope. Your return is something of a minor miracle, Director."
"Stop doing that!" Marie hissed at him.
"Sorry, sorry!" Arash held up his hands in surrender. "I know, Rika has complained about that, too. There just isn't a great way to materialize that doesn't involve giving someone a shock."
"It should be a matter of common courtesy!" she insisted. "Besides, you can materialize right outside the door and walk in, can't you? At least then we'd see you coming!"
"I guess so," Arash agreed easily. "Either way, Director, a lot of people didn't think you were going to be coming back."
Marie ducked her head, staring a hole in her plate. I didn't need to be a mind-reader to see the direction of her thoughts: And I was one of them.
I couldn't do anything about that. I didn't have the tools to make that better or help her learn to deal with it. I wasn't even sure Romani could help with it, although I intended to see if he could try.
"It'll die down," I assured her. "It's a novelty right now, but once they get used to the fact that you are back, things will go back to normal."
As much as they ever were around this place.
As though summoned by that very thought, the door to the cafeteria whooshed back open, and Rika loudly complained, "Ugh! My brain feels like it's leaking out of my ears! Why does magic have to be so complicated?"
"Because it's so dangerous," El-Melloi II answered as he followed her and Ritsuka into the room. "The more complicated something is, the more prepared you need to be, because the higher the chances are of something going wrong. That saying I mentioned in our first lesson might sound like a cliché, but that doesn't stop it from being true."
"A-at least you're making progress, Senpai!" said Mash, trying to reassure her.
"Harry Potter lied to me!" Rika whined.
"It's not all wand-waving and silly incantations," Ritsuka agreed. Rika reached over without looking and gave his arm a half-hearted slap, as though to remind him that he wasn't allowed to make pop culture references.
"Of course not," El-Melloi II said. He grinned. "If it was that easy, then everyone could do it, couldn't they?"
"I feel like you're referencing something from season two of an anime when I haven't even watched the first," Rika told him dryly. "In the name of the Director, I'll punish you!"
Across from me, Marie suddenly choked on her food and slapped her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't do something embarrassing, like spit it out on her plate.
Completely oblivious, the twins' group arrived at the counter, behind which Emiya's form could be seen in the kitchen, still cooking. "Emiya!" Rika said dramatically. "Brain mush, need fuel! Much delicious!"
"Senpai, there's no need to be so rude!" Mash chided.
"Eh." Rika waved it off. "My house-husband knows the score by now."
"Indeed I do," Emiya drawled. He arrived at the counter, trays in hand and plates already filled. He set one down for Ritsuka, one down for Rika, and to Mash, he said, "I'll be back with yours in a moment, Mash."
"Thank you, Emiya!" Mash said brightly.
"It's no problem."
"See?" said Rika. "Look at how well-trained he is!"
"Much as I like to malign that particular person," said El-Melloi II, "even I have to say that he's more than a well-trained dog."
"I just know better," Emiya replied as he came back. "If I tried to serve Mash before Master, she'd just hand her tray over and wait to get her own."
"I…" Mash ducked her head, embarrassed. "Y-yes, I guess I would…"
"You're a good person, Mash," Ritsuka told her kindly.
Mash ducked her head even more. "Th-thank you, Senpai."
"There's such a thing as being too kind, though," El-Melloi II put in. He pulled on his lollipop with a loud smack, and at the same time, his eyes scanned over the room and landed on us. For a brief moment, they widened, and then they narrowed. "Anyway, Master, I'm going back to my room. I'll see you tomorrow for our next lesson."
He shimmered and faded from view, gone.
"Ugh, so not looking forward to that," Rika groused.
"But we definitely need it," Ritsuka admitted reluctantly.
"Doesn't mean I have to like it."
At that moment, Mash turned around and saw us, gasping, "Director!"
The twins turned around immediately, and their faces lit up. "Director Marie!"
They rushed over to join us, and by then, Marie had managed to regain control of herself and swallow whatever she'd choked on.
"You two," she rasped, "just who do you think you're addressing so familiarly?"
"Sorry about that, Director," said Ritsuka, although he didn't sound all that sorry.
"We just haven't seen you all that much in the past week!" Rika concluded. "Senpai wasn't the only one waiting for you to do your Gandalf impression!"
"What?" Marie asked, bewildered.
"From The Lord of the Rings, Director," I supplied helpfully. "Wizard who came back from the dead."
"Oh." She gathered herself up. "W-well, that's still no excuse! Even if I was gone for a few months, I'm still your director! Your boss!"
Rika saluted with her fork. "Roger wilco, Boss Lady!"
"Don't you start!" Marie growled.
"It's good to see you in such good spirits, Director," said Ritsuka.
"We were worried about you," Mash added.
"Fou!" the little gremlin chimed in, as though to agree.
Somehow, I was the only one in the whole facility it hated. I couldn't even remember Lev getting such vitriol from the thing as I did, and if it could sense whatever it was about me that it didn't like as clearly as I could sense whatever it was about Fou that set my hackles to rising, then there was almost no way it shouldn't have been able to sniff out his malicious intent.
I wasn't sure if it had and just hadn't let on, or if it hadn't and there was just something special about whatever we had going on between us.
"W-well, there's nothing to worry about!" said Marie, who didn't seem to know how to deal with their concern. "As you can see, I'm fine!"
Rika looked pointedly at Marie's wheelchair. "Uh…"
"It's temporary! I'm not stuck in this contraption for the rest of my life!" A second later, her brain caught up with her mouth, and her cheeks burned. "Ugh! You know exactly what I mean, don't pretend you don't!"
"Good afternoon, Ritsuka, Rika, Mash," Arash said suddenly, drawing the attention in his direction. "How did your lesson with El-Melloi II go?"
"Ugh, don't remind me," said Rika. She shoved a bite of her meal into her mouth, and around her fork, she continued, "Hot Pops is the kind of teacher to throw chalk at you if he thinks you're not paying attention."
"But…we don't even have any chalkboards in Chaldea," said Mash, confused.
Rika waved it off. "It's the principle of the thing! A metaphor!"
"I don't know if I'd really call him strict," said Ritsuka, "but he's definitely the kind of guy who won't accept you slacking off."
"Which sucks," his sister added, "because slacking off is my favorite thing to do in class."
"Do you not have any idea how lucky you are?" Marie demanded. "You're getting personal lessons from a Lord of the Clock Tower! There are magi who would gladly sell their organs to be in that position!"
Rika blinked. "You tutored Senpai, though, didn't you?"
Marie flinched. "W-well," she said, flustered, "th-those were extenuating circumstances!"
Rika's eyebrows rose.
"I dunno about you, Boss Lady," she said, "but these circumstances feel pretty extenuating to me."
"That's why you have to give it your best, guys." Arash swooped in to save the day again. "All of the stuff you're learning from Aífe and El-Melloi II is super important. It might just save your life in the future."
"Ugh," Rika grunted. "I hate it when you say stuff like that, because it makes too much sense and I can't argue against it. Logic is my weakness, you know!"
"I've known you our whole lives," Ritsuka said dryly, "and it definitely is not."
She shoved another bite of food into her mouth. "Mm. At least I can always trust Emiya's food to be amazing. Emiya's cooking will never betray me."
"Unless you eat too much of it," Ritsuka pointed out. "Then, it's going to be in violent rebellion against your stomach."
"Ugh!" Bradamante suddenly appeared in the chair next to Arash. Marie let out a startled shriek again. "Don't remind me! I still haven't recovered from curry night last week!"
"Tii-chan!" Rika greeted brightly.
"Stop doing that!" Marie snarled. "Don't any of you have a single shred of common decency? What kind of troglodyte just randomly materializes in the middle of a conversation?"
"Oh!" Bradamante gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't even think about it!"
Just as suddenly as she appeared, she vanished, and Marie squeaked in surprise. "What? Where did she go now?"
A moment later, the door whooshed open, and Bradamante stepped through and walked back over to our table. She took the seat she'd just vacated, and as though nothing had happened, she continued, "Sir Emiya's cooking is wonderful, but that makes it all the more dangerous. You must take care not to eat too much of it, or else suffer for your gluttony."
"You…" Marie pinched the bridge of her nose with unsteady fingers. "As though leaving just as suddenly was any better at all…!"
"I'm sorry?" said Bradamante, confused. "Should I have stayed instead? I confess, some of these matters of Servant etiquette are a bit befuddling. I'm still learning the proper forms."
"It is a bit different from how it was when we were alive," Arash agreed. "Just being able to take spirit form changes a lot."
"I don't know if I can say anything," Mash admitted. "Since I can't take spirit form, I don't have to think about those sorts of problems."
"Maybe Boss Lady should hold a seminar or something," Rika suggested helpfully. "Hey, yeah! A class about the proper use of spirit form and when it's okay to go in and out of it!"
"That's…!" Marie began angrily, and then she stopped, thought about it for a second, and leaned back into her wheelchair. She took what I'd come to think of as her thinking pose: head tilted down, her chin resting in the corner of the index finger and thumb of one hand, and the other cupping her elbow. "That's…actually not a terrible idea."
Rika paused, blinking, her fork halfway to her mouth. "It isn't?"
It really wasn't, and the surprising part was that no one had given it enough thought before now to how it would work. I'd had some inkling that it was going to be necessary before, but it had been such a low priority that I hadn't really tried to plan it out or anything.
Rika's plan wasn't perfect, but it was pretty simple. On the plus side, it would give Marie something to work on and brainstorm until she was in good enough shape to resume her duties as director.
"Obviously, it's going to need some refinement!" Marie said. "But Chaldea is a secure facility! The technology that protects our mission and our very lives isn't something that everyone should have access to! For that matter, if one of our technicians is startled while they're working and damages something so vital, then it's no better than if L-Lev himself had destroyed them! Who else should explain something this important than the director?"
"Well, look at that." Arash smiled. "Good job, Rika."
Rika looked from Marie to Arash and back again. Hesitantly, she pumped her free hand.
"Go me?"
Next — Interlude OMA(II): Fighting Demons
"One more step."
Marie looked at the floor, down at the cushioned mats that covered it, and at the distance that still separated us. Her knees shook from the effort of staying upright, and her face burned with the humiliation it took to manage just that alone. Her hands gripped the rails that helped her stay balanced so tightly that her knuckles stood out starkly against her already pale skin, a feat considering the sterile white lighting that lit the whole room.
"I hate this," she mumbled miserably. "This is so humiliating."
I know, I thought but didn't say. It had been humiliating for me, too, having to relearn how to walk again. The determination to get better had let me distract myself from the frustration and embarrassment of having something that was supposed to be so easy become so hard, but every stumble had carried the sting of failure that no amount of distraction could completely overcome.
"If I did it," I told her, trying to be encouraging, "then you can do it, too."
The guard rails she was using to support herself squeaked under her tightening grip. The blue padding was at least sturdy enough not to burst under the torment she was putting it through.
"That's right," she murmured, almost like she was talking more to herself than to me, "you had to do this sort of thing, too, didn't you?"
Months of it, after Gold Morning, which meant that I'd become very familiar with this private room adjacent to the main gymnasium and all the myriad forms of torture that it contained. Quite aside from what Contessa's bullets had done to my brain — and what I had done to it myself, by having Panacea mess around with my Corona — I'd been bedridden for weeks. There were a lot of things I'd had to relearn how to do in the aftermath of that. Walking was only one of them.
Marie closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and then took one more step forward. A look of triumph and victory dawned over her face, but it only lasted until she took her hands off of those guard rails, and then she started to tumble forward. Fortunately, that was what I was there for, so it was no effort at all to reach out, take hold of her arms, and steady her.
"Damn it," she cursed.
"You did well," I told her.
"At least I didn't fall flat on my face, you mean?" she bit back bitterly. "God! At least those two neophytes aren't here to see this!"
Then they might get to see their Director as a human being, and how terrible that would be. Not like they hadn't already gotten a taste of it when she woke up screaming her head off and sobbing about Lev's attempt to kill her.
"Technically, those two now have more experience than all the rest of Team A," I reminded her.
Something flashed in her eyes as she looked back up at me, hungry and proud. "Except for one."
I acknowledged that with a short incline of my head. I didn't know if it was the fairest assessment, since I was pretty sure that I was the one with the greatest amount of field experience on the entirety of Team A, but I could at least let Marie take pride in this much.
"They wouldn't think less of you," I told her quietly.
Her face twisted into a grimace. "It doesn't matter. I'm their boss, the Director of Chaldea. They shouldn't see me like this." She ducked her head, and quieter, she said, "I didn't want you to see me like this."
"You did it for me," I reminded her. "The least I can do is return the favor."
Her cheeks burned, and even the tips of her ears turned red. It wasn't strictly true, because she'd really been more like a harsh taskmaster demanding I give my best from the sidelines, but she didn't bother to correct me.
And even if it wasn't strictly true, that was only because she left it up to the professionals to treat me. She'd still been there the entire way, making sure I got the best treatment she could afford with the utmost discretion.
"Romani should be the one doing this," she mumbled.
"Romani is also still the Acting Director while you get back on your feet," I said. "Since he doesn't have the time to help you himself, of course he delegated it to someone who was willing and able."
And too stubborn to take no for an answer.
It wasn't like anyone had been chomping at the bit to get the chance to take my place, though. Of the remaining staff, the only one who was anywhere near as close to Marie as me was Romani himself. Everyone else was too far removed from her in the organization or too put off by her standoffish personality to have had the chance to get to know her the way I did.
Even if that hadn't been the case, I still would have volunteered. I owed her at least that much.
Her fingers dug into my wrists. "It's already been a week."
"And it takes longer than that," I reminded her again. "You should already know, this isn't something that happens overnight." I gave her arms a comforting squeeze. "But this isn't going to take forever either. You're just getting used to your body again, not relearning from scratch. Romani said it should only take about two weeks."
And we had already gotten her through the first one, I didn't say, because I didn't need to. She just had to get through one more, and by then, she should be able to walk on her own. Maybe not unassisted, but without someone half-carrying her or wheeling her along in a wheelchair.
Marie ducked her head. "It doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere," she murmured miserably.
"Compared to where I was after the first week?" I said. "You're already doing way better."
She didn't have a response to that. Or maybe she did, but she thought it sounded too petulant or childish to actually give voice to, so she simply didn't. It wasn't like she wouldn't have had a point if she said that my recovery had been harder because of how much more I'd had to piece back together, but by the same token, I hadn't had my soul transplanted into a new body after my old one got blown to pieces, so technically, she had it a whole lot worse than I had. She just had it easier because there wasn't actually anything wrong with her, she just had to get her new body used to moving around and carrying its own weight.
"Come on," I said as I lifted her back up and maneuvered her hands back onto the guide rails. "We should have enough time for you to get one more round in before the twins finish their daily lessons with El-Melloi II."
She grimaced. "Don't remind me! Ugh. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how he's supposed to work!"
"You've read my report —"
"The concept is understandable enough," Marie waved it off, quite literally lifting one of her hands as though to swat away a fly buzzing about, "it's the person that makes so little sense! Of all people who could be the host of a Heroic Spirit, why him?"
"Maybe it's just a matter of personal compatibility."
She blew a puff of air out of her mouth, and her bangs flopped about for a second over her forehead.
"The frustrating thing is, I can't refute that because he still hasn't told us the identity of the Heroic Spirit he's playing host to!"
I smiled a little as I walked around to the other end of the guide rails. It wasn't like it was hard to look up "Unreturning Formation" or "Stone Sentinel Maze" now that we were back at Chaldea, and it betrayed the fact that Marie had been so dogged about catching up as quickly as possible that she hadn't read the notes I'd attached to my report yet.
No need to bring that up right now, though. It would just embarrass her even more. She would get to that eventually.
"Okay." I set myself up at the opposite end of the guide rails. She looked back at me over her shoulder. "One more time, Marie."
Her lips pulled tight into a grimace, but whatever else Marisbury had done — as a man, as a magus, and as a father — he hadn't raised a quitter, and Marie turned herself around slowly and deliberately until she was facing me, then started the arduous journey from one side of the eight-foot rails to the other. Even when her knees shook and threatened to give out beneath her, she didn't let it stop her from making it across.
She probably would have preferred to go straight back to her room when we were done, but dinnertime was fast approaching and Romani had forbidden her from eating in her room. Privately, he'd told me that he wanted her out of her own head as much as possible, so I wasn't to let her take her meals anywhere else than the cafeteria, but to Marie, he'd said something about how much it would raise morale for the rest of the remaining staff to see their Director alive and well, if not fully recovered.
I suspected that was truer than he even realized.
Naturally, appealing to her responsibilities as the Director of Chaldea was the quickest and easiest way to convince Marie of a plan, if not necessarily the most guaranteed, so even if the idea of being pushed into the cafeteria in a wheelchair grated on her pride, she'd had to reluctantly agree.
The halls, of course, were all but empty, leaving us only the company of my echoing footsteps and the squeaks of the wheelchair's wheels. The day shift should have just traded off with the evening shift about an hour before, and the night shift were still in bed, so the day shift was probably getting dinner in so they could relax for a few hours before they had to climb into bed themselves — a bit of a funny way of saying six people were eating, six people were working, and six people were sleeping.
Halfway there, Arash materialized next to us mid-step, and Marie squawked, nearly startled out of her wheelchair.
"Afternoon, Ladies," he greeted us.
"You — how long have you been there?" Marie sputtered.
"The whole time," he answered simply. "Taylor is my Master, after all."
Marie's face cycled through a series of rapid emotions, going from surprised to horrified to furious and back again, like she couldn't decide whether she was supposed to be outraged or mortified.
"Was there something you needed?" I asked him.
He smiled. "That's what I was just about to ask you. Do you want me to pop on ahead and let Emiya know you're coming?"
"W-wait," said Marie, "you said — then you saw e-everything? All of it?"
"Was I not supposed to?" Arash asked. "I'm sorry, Director, I didn't mean to spy on you or anything. It's just that we Servants don't have much to do around here right now. Those of us who don't have a hobby just stick by our Masters. Keep an eye on things, you know?"
Marie's face turned a violent shade of red. "I-including when I had to… And when I was getting dressed?"
"Well, naturally, I stayed outside the room for that," Arash said smoothly. "If we need to watch our Masters during moments like those, Bradamante takes over. She says it isn't proper for a man to see a lady like that."
I almost missed the subtext in all of that. It was a very shrewd way of telling me without telling me.
"Th-that's not much better!" Marie protested. "You, haven't any of you heard of something called privacy?"
"I don't think they're watching us constantly," I told her calmly. I glanced over at Arash. "Here in Chaldea, I think we're safe enough that we don't need round-the-clock supervision."
Romani still has her under observation? I asked silently.
He wants to be sure she doesn't relapse, Arash answered. Or hurt herself by trying to do too much too soon.
I kept my reaction off of my face as I told him, I agree. At least until she can walk on her own again.
Arash dipped his head. "I understand."
"W-well, good!" Marie blustered. "There are some things you don't have the clearance to see! E-even Servants have to follow the regulations, you know!"
Arash bent forward into a shallow bow, smiling. "Of course, Madam Director."
"I can tell when you're patronizing me," Marie informed him sourly, scowling.
"No, no, I do understand," he assured her. "I was a soldier once. I only need to know what I need to know, right?"
She eyed him for a moment longer, like she was looking for any sign of dishonesty or mockery, and when she was satisfied, she settled back into her wheelchair. "At least someone in this organization understands operational security," she muttered.
Arash pretended not to hear her, and instead, he turned back to me. "I'll go tell Emiya to prepare meals for two more people, then, if that's alright with you, Master?"
"Go ahead."
Once more, he disappeared, leaving me alone with Marie again.
"He was your compatibility summon?" she asked me.
"Yes," I answered. "Our first field test of the summoning system inside the Orléans Singularity."
"The Hundred Years' War deviation, right," Marie said. "The one featuring this 'Jeanne Alter' character."
I let myself smile a little. Yeah, that sounded like Marie. Even though she was supposed to be resting and recuperating, she had spent that time catching up on what had been happening while she was…indisposed, so to speak.
"He could stand to be a little less cheeky," she groused. "But…he's a good match, I think. A strong Heroic Spirit."
I appreciated the sentiment, but I wished she would have phrased it a little less like she was my mother approving of the boyfriend I brought home.
"He is," I agreed neutrally. "Saved our lives a couple of times, too."
"And killed two Servants without taking a scratch," she added. For another second, she was silent, and then, quietly, she asked, "He wasn't who you were originally going for, was he?"
My lips drew tight. I'd made no secret of that to anybody, least of all Arash, but I'd never let on to anybody which Heroic Spirit I'd originally been hoping to get, back when we started lining up catalysts.
In truth, I didn't really know who I would have picked, just based upon who I thought I might work well with. Herakles and I might have been fairly compatible, being that we were both lateral thinkers, but the trouble with powerful heroes like that was that they were often mana hogs, so any advantage I might have had with him would have evaporated against the fact that I probably wouldn't be able to handle supporting him for more than a few minutes at a time.
Other than that and my pie-in-the-sky wishlist? There wasn't a particular Heroic Spirit I'd really been hoping for.
"No," I said, just as quietly, "but I'm glad he's the one who showed up anyway."
"Good."
Not too much later, we arrived at the doors to the cafeteria, and they whooshed open to admit us. I pushed Marie along, and the instant we were inside, all conversation stopped and everyone who was there eating turned to look. Under their scrutiny, the tips of Marie's ears turned red.
"Well?" she demanded. "What are you all staring at? Stop wasting your time gawking and finish your food!"
As though that was some great sign that she was alive, well, and (mostly) back to normal, the seven members of the staff who were in the cafeteria with us turned back to their meals so they could avoid the Director's wrath. Marie harrumphed and folded her arms, scowling at the whole world, so I wheeled her over to the nearest empty table and moved a chair out of the way for her.
"I-idiots," she mumbled lowly. "What am I, a circus attraction? Th-there's nothing unusual about this!"
I was about to go over to get us some food, but Emiya chose to bring the food to us instead, hefting a pair of trays, one on each arm. He still had one of those ridiculous novelty aprons on — I was convinced he had a stock of them that he rotated through, because it seemed to be a different one each day with a different phrase stitched into the front. This one featured a fork and read, "With prongs like these, who needs a recipe?"
"Special delivery," he told us. "A certain person told me to expect our illustrious Director to make an appearance, so I went out of my way to prepare a platter for you."
He set down another mouth-watering meal within Marie's reach, and then immediately opposite her, he set the second tray down, laden with the same exact food. Marie took a breath, and she couldn't seem to help herself but to take in the smell wafting up from her steaming tray. It was another chicken dish of some kind, although I didn't recognize it on sight.
One of these days, he was going to run out of new stuff to make. I just wasn't sure it would be anytime soon.
"I decided on something a little more Western today," he told us. "Thought I might shake things up a little. This one in particular is Greek."
Marie looked down at her tray critically as I took my seat across from her, eyeing her meal like she suspected him of lying. Or maybe poisoning it. She'd nearly thrown a fit the first time she saw him, until we explained how he wound up here and cooking our meals.
"Greek, huh…"
"If you've had it before, it might not be exactly the same," Emiya said. "I was a bit more limited with my ingredients, after all. I had to adjust the recipe to account for that."
"So you say."
Marie took up her utensils and started cutting into her meal, lifting the first bite — and stopped halfway to her mouth to shoot Emiya a withering glare.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch or something? It's creepy!"
"The customer's satisfaction is the greatest compliment a chef can receive," Emiya retorted without missing a beat. "I wanted to make sure you liked it, because my skill with Western dishes isn't as great as my talent with Asian recipes."
With a large, exaggerated motion, Marie bit off her first bite, had to stop for a second when the flavor hit her tongue, and then chewed it more sedately.
"Well?" Emiya asked once she'd swallowed.
"I-it's good!" she said huffily. "Now will you let me eat my meal in peace? I don't need everyone staring at me so much!"
"If the Director is pleased, then I'm sure Rika will enjoy it as well," Emiya said, nodding to himself. "Enjoy your meal, Director."
He turned around and went back to the kitchen, leaving us by ourselves. In all of the fuss, I'd started in on my own meal, and like always, Emiya had made something spectacular. The truly frightening thing was that when my tastebuds finally got used to eating so much high class, delicious food, going back to ration bars and mass-produced cafeteria fare was going to be torture.
"Seriously," Marie muttered angrily as she stabbed her fork into her food, "why can't everyone just mind their own business? They have more important things to be doing than gawking at me just because I'm in a wheelchair!"
"They're still getting used to having you back," I told her between bites. "Most of them probably thought you were gone for good."
I wasn't sure how much Romani had told them. It was entirely possible that he'd spread the knowledge that the Director wasn't permanently gone amongst the rest of the staff, but it was also possible that he hadn't wanted to commit to anything, so the only ones who had been in the know were those of us directly involved in bringing her back.
Then again, we weren't exactly in a private room when we first discussed the issue after Fuyuki. Anyone with ears who was paying attention to us must have heard that we had a plan to save her. Whether that made the rounds, well, I hadn't thought to ask.
Marie hunched in on herself a little. "They did, huh…"
"I wasn't around right after Fuyuki to say for sure," Arash said as he shimmered into existence in the chair next to me. Marie squeaked, startled, and jumped a little in her seat. "But I talked to a few people after we got back from Orléans, and it seems that most of them thought there wasn't any hope. Your return is something of a minor miracle, Director."
"Stop doing that!" Marie hissed at him.
"Sorry, sorry!" Arash held up his hands in surrender. "I know, Rika has complained about that, too. There just isn't a great way to materialize that doesn't involve giving someone a shock."
"It should be a matter of common courtesy!" she insisted. "Besides, you can materialize right outside the door and walk in, can't you? At least then we'd see you coming!"
"I guess so," Arash agreed easily. "Either way, Director, a lot of people didn't think you were going to be coming back."
Marie ducked her head, staring a hole in her plate. I didn't need to be a mind-reader to see the direction of her thoughts: And I was one of them.
I couldn't do anything about that. I didn't have the tools to make that better or help her learn to deal with it. I wasn't even sure Romani could help with it, although I intended to see if he could try.
"It'll die down," I assured her. "It's a novelty right now, but once they get used to the fact that you are back, things will go back to normal."
As much as they ever were around this place.
As though summoned by that very thought, the door to the cafeteria whooshed back open, and Rika loudly complained, "Ugh! My brain feels like it's leaking out of my ears! Why does magic have to be so complicated?"
"Because it's so dangerous," El-Melloi II answered as he followed her and Ritsuka into the room. "The more complicated something is, the more prepared you need to be, because the higher the chances are of something going wrong. That saying I mentioned in our first lesson might sound like a cliché, but that doesn't stop it from being true."
"A-at least you're making progress, Senpai!" said Mash, trying to reassure her.
"Harry Potter lied to me!" Rika whined.
"It's not all wand-waving and silly incantations," Ritsuka agreed. Rika reached over without looking and gave his arm a half-hearted slap, as though to remind him that he wasn't allowed to make pop culture references.
"Of course not," El-Melloi II said. He grinned. "If it was that easy, then everyone could do it, couldn't they?"
"I feel like you're referencing something from season two of an anime when I haven't even watched the first," Rika told him dryly. "In the name of the Director, I'll punish you!"
Across from me, Marie suddenly choked on her food and slapped her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't do something embarrassing, like spit it out on her plate.
Completely oblivious, the twins' group arrived at the counter, behind which Emiya's form could be seen in the kitchen, still cooking. "Emiya!" Rika said dramatically. "Brain mush, need fuel! Much delicious!"
"Senpai, there's no need to be so rude!" Mash chided.
"Eh." Rika waved it off. "My house-husband knows the score by now."
"Indeed I do," Emiya drawled. He arrived at the counter, trays in hand and plates already filled. He set one down for Ritsuka, one down for Rika, and to Mash, he said, "I'll be back with yours in a moment, Mash."
"Thank you, Emiya!" Mash said brightly.
"It's no problem."
"See?" said Rika. "Look at how well-trained he is!"
"Much as I like to malign that particular person," said El-Melloi II, "even I have to say that he's more than a well-trained dog."
"I just know better," Emiya replied as he came back. "If I tried to serve Mash before Master, she'd just hand her tray over and wait to get her own."
"I…" Mash ducked her head, embarrassed. "Y-yes, I guess I would…"
"You're a good person, Mash," Ritsuka told her kindly.
Mash ducked her head even more. "Th-thank you, Senpai."
"There's such a thing as being too kind, though," El-Melloi II put in. He pulled on his lollipop with a loud smack, and at the same time, his eyes scanned over the room and landed on us. For a brief moment, they widened, and then they narrowed. "Anyway, Master, I'm going back to my room. I'll see you tomorrow for our next lesson."
He shimmered and faded from view, gone.
"Ugh, so not looking forward to that," Rika groused.
"But we definitely need it," Ritsuka admitted reluctantly.
"Doesn't mean I have to like it."
At that moment, Mash turned around and saw us, gasping, "Director!"
The twins turned around immediately, and their faces lit up. "Director Marie!"
They rushed over to join us, and by then, Marie had managed to regain control of herself and swallow whatever she'd choked on.
"You two," she rasped, "just who do you think you're addressing so familiarly?"
"Sorry about that, Director," said Ritsuka, although he didn't sound all that sorry.
"We just haven't seen you all that much in the past week!" Rika concluded. "Senpai wasn't the only one waiting for you to do your Gandalf impression!"
"What?" Marie asked, bewildered.
"From The Lord of the Rings, Director," I supplied helpfully. "Wizard who came back from the dead."
"Oh." She gathered herself up. "W-well, that's still no excuse! Even if I was gone for a few months, I'm still your director! Your boss!"
Rika saluted with her fork. "Roger wilco, Boss Lady!"
"Don't you start!" Marie growled.
"It's good to see you in such good spirits, Director," said Ritsuka.
"We were worried about you," Mash added.
"Fou!" the little gremlin chimed in, as though to agree.
Somehow, I was the only one in the whole facility it hated. I couldn't even remember Lev getting such vitriol from the thing as I did, and if it could sense whatever it was about me that it didn't like as clearly as I could sense whatever it was about Fou that set my hackles to rising, then there was almost no way it shouldn't have been able to sniff out his malicious intent.
I wasn't sure if it had and just hadn't let on, or if it hadn't and there was just something special about whatever we had going on between us.
"W-well, there's nothing to worry about!" said Marie, who didn't seem to know how to deal with their concern. "As you can see, I'm fine!"
Rika looked pointedly at Marie's wheelchair. "Uh…"
"It's temporary! I'm not stuck in this contraption for the rest of my life!" A second later, her brain caught up with her mouth, and her cheeks burned. "Ugh! You know exactly what I mean, don't pretend you don't!"
"Good afternoon, Ritsuka, Rika, Mash," Arash said suddenly, drawing the attention in his direction. "How did your lesson with El-Melloi II go?"
"Ugh, don't remind me," said Rika. She shoved a bite of her meal into her mouth, and around her fork, she continued, "Hot Pops is the kind of teacher to throw chalk at you if he thinks you're not paying attention."
"But…we don't even have any chalkboards in Chaldea," said Mash, confused.
Rika waved it off. "It's the principle of the thing! A metaphor!"
"I don't know if I'd really call him strict," said Ritsuka, "but he's definitely the kind of guy who won't accept you slacking off."
"Which sucks," his sister added, "because slacking off is my favorite thing to do in class."
"Do you not have any idea how lucky you are?" Marie demanded. "You're getting personal lessons from a Lord of the Clock Tower! There are magi who would gladly sell their organs to be in that position!"
Rika blinked. "You tutored Senpai, though, didn't you?"
Marie flinched. "W-well," she said, flustered, "th-those were extenuating circumstances!"
Rika's eyebrows rose.
"I dunno about you, Boss Lady," she said, "but these circumstances feel pretty extenuating to me."
"That's why you have to give it your best, guys." Arash swooped in to save the day again. "All of the stuff you're learning from Aífe and El-Melloi II is super important. It might just save your life in the future."
"Ugh," Rika grunted. "I hate it when you say stuff like that, because it makes too much sense and I can't argue against it. Logic is my weakness, you know!"
"I've known you our whole lives," Ritsuka said dryly, "and it definitely is not."
She shoved another bite of food into her mouth. "Mm. At least I can always trust Emiya's food to be amazing. Emiya's cooking will never betray me."
"Unless you eat too much of it," Ritsuka pointed out. "Then, it's going to be in violent rebellion against your stomach."
"Ugh!" Bradamante suddenly appeared in the chair next to Arash. Marie let out a startled shriek again. "Don't remind me! I still haven't recovered from curry night last week!"
"Tii-chan!" Rika greeted brightly.
"Stop doing that!" Marie snarled. "Don't any of you have a single shred of common decency? What kind of troglodyte just randomly materializes in the middle of a conversation?"
"Oh!" Bradamante gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't even think about it!"
Just as suddenly as she appeared, she vanished, and Marie squeaked in surprise. "What? Where did she go now?"
A moment later, the door whooshed open, and Bradamante stepped through and walked back over to our table. She took the seat she'd just vacated, and as though nothing had happened, she continued, "Sir Emiya's cooking is wonderful, but that makes it all the more dangerous. You must take care not to eat too much of it, or else suffer for your gluttony."
"You…" Marie pinched the bridge of her nose with unsteady fingers. "As though leaving just as suddenly was any better at all…!"
"I'm sorry?" said Bradamante, confused. "Should I have stayed instead? I confess, some of these matters of Servant etiquette are a bit befuddling. I'm still learning the proper forms."
"It is a bit different from how it was when we were alive," Arash agreed. "Just being able to take spirit form changes a lot."
"I don't know if I can say anything," Mash admitted. "Since I can't take spirit form, I don't have to think about those sorts of problems."
"Maybe Boss Lady should hold a seminar or something," Rika suggested helpfully. "Hey, yeah! A class about the proper use of spirit form and when it's okay to go in and out of it!"
"That's…!" Marie began angrily, and then she stopped, thought about it for a second, and leaned back into her wheelchair. She took what I'd come to think of as her thinking pose: head tilted down, her chin resting in the corner of the index finger and thumb of one hand, and the other cupping her elbow. "That's…actually not a terrible idea."
Rika paused, blinking, her fork halfway to her mouth. "It isn't?"
It really wasn't, and the surprising part was that no one had given it enough thought before now to how it would work. I'd had some inkling that it was going to be necessary before, but it had been such a low priority that I hadn't really tried to plan it out or anything.
Rika's plan wasn't perfect, but it was pretty simple. On the plus side, it would give Marie something to work on and brainstorm until she was in good enough shape to resume her duties as director.
"Obviously, it's going to need some refinement!" Marie said. "But Chaldea is a secure facility! The technology that protects our mission and our very lives isn't something that everyone should have access to! For that matter, if one of our technicians is startled while they're working and damages something so vital, then it's no better than if L-Lev himself had destroyed them! Who else should explain something this important than the director?"
"Well, look at that." Arash smiled. "Good job, Rika."
Rika looked from Marie to Arash and back again. Hesitantly, she pumped her free hand.
"Go me?"
— o.0.O.O.0.o —
This one gave me a little bit of trouble. I got to the second half and felt like I didn't really know what to do or where to go with it, but a little help from the editor got my mojo flowing again and I managed to finish out with something I liked.
Olga's facing a long, tough road, and it won't be easy, but it's still something she can do, and Taylor's going to be there the whole way. So are the twins and Mash, although she won't let them close enough just yet to know how much they're helping her.
As incredible as it seems, Okeanos is only a few chapters away, now. Things are continuing apace, although there are still some things I wish I had more information on. A certain someone I want to bring in still hasn't had their full profile revealed yet.
Special thanks to everyone who has helped me out, and especially to all my Patrons who have stayed with me this far, through all the rocky moments and dry stretches. You guys are the best, and your continued support is invaluable. Extra special thanks to Eric, s22132, AbyssalApsu, Alias 2v10, and Druid of Mist. You're absolute legends.
If you like what you're reading and want to support me as a writer so I can pay the bills, I have a Patreon. If Patreon is too long term, I have a Ko-fi page, too. If you want to commission something from me, check out either my Deviantart post or my artist registry page for my rates. Links in my sig. Every little bit helps keep me afloat, even if you can only afford a couple dollars.
Olga's facing a long, tough road, and it won't be easy, but it's still something she can do, and Taylor's going to be there the whole way. So are the twins and Mash, although she won't let them close enough just yet to know how much they're helping her.
As incredible as it seems, Okeanos is only a few chapters away, now. Things are continuing apace, although there are still some things I wish I had more information on. A certain someone I want to bring in still hasn't had their full profile revealed yet.
Special thanks to everyone who has helped me out, and especially to all my Patrons who have stayed with me this far, through all the rocky moments and dry stretches. You guys are the best, and your continued support is invaluable. Extra special thanks to Eric, s22132, AbyssalApsu, Alias 2v10, and Druid of Mist. You're absolute legends.
If you like what you're reading and want to support me as a writer so I can pay the bills, I have a Patreon. If Patreon is too long term, I have a Ko-fi page, too. If you want to commission something from me, check out either my Deviantart post or my artist registry page for my rates. Links in my sig. Every little bit helps keep me afloat, even if you can only afford a couple dollars.
- Location
- Philippines
This is a part of Olga's character, I find, that is often too under-represented in the fics that rescue her. They make her out to be this big Woobie, which to be fair, she is, but Olga pretty much singlehandedly reformed most of Chaldea from its more ethically questionable ways the moment she became Director. And though strict and neurotic she may be, I really do believe that even if it would be tragic for Romani to never become Chaldea's Director, if Olga ever did get to the Singularities she certainly would've done just as well as Romani had been for Chaldea.
And no, let's not talk about the Part 2 stuff. This place is not for that.
And no, let's not talk about the Part 2 stuff. This place is not for that.
- Location
- Leeds
Ah good, I was going to be annoyed if they hadn't put it together.
These aprons are also a sword.
"Bone of my bone,
Cloth of my Apron"
Or something.
Mash is surprisingly mean when she runs out of patience.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
That was Mr. Camelot Fun Police leaking through again, most likely. Taylor needs to hurry up and summon Artoria already, she's the only one who can keep him in line.
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rafuki22
Anti-nihilist(maybe).
- Location
- Earth/Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I know that you have said no part 2 stuff, but i found these relevant with what you said.
デイビット
Daybit
いや、君はもとから聡明だった、オルガマリー。
前所長が有能すぎただけだ。
No, you were smart from the start, Olga Marie.
The former director was just too capable.
無能な者にカルデアは運営できない。
Chaldea cannot be run by incompetent people.
あの若さでカルデアを統括できていた事が、
君の才能を証明していた。
Being able to control Chaldea at such a young age,
You proved your talent.
それを君自身が信じなかったばかりに、
周囲との不和は起きていた。
Just because you didn't believe it yourself,
Discord with the surroundings was happening.
加えて、レフ・ライノールの心的操作。
彼は君を依存させ、彼以外の人間に壁を作らせた。
Plus Lev Reynor's mental manipulation.
He made you dependent, and he let other people build walls.
あの時点でゲーティアの手管は、
魔神柱の企みは完璧だったが……
At that point, Goetia's control was,
The Demon God Pillar's plot was perfect, but...
その中でも、さらに奇跡の一手と言えるものが
レフ・ライノールが君に向けた感情だ。
Among them, there is a move that can be said to be even more miraculous.
It's the feeling Lev Reynor has for you.
あれがなければオレたちに逆転の道はなかった。
魔術王ソロモン。いや、魔神王ゲーティア。
Without that, there was no way for us to turn around.
Mage King Solomon. No, Demon King Goetia.
彼はあの時、人理を焼却しながら、同時に人理の防人 を生みだした。
At that time, while he was incinerating humanity, at the same time he created a defender of humanity.
Daybit
いや、君はもとから聡明だった、オルガマリー。
前所長が有能すぎただけだ。
No, you were smart from the start, Olga Marie.
The former director was just too capable.
無能な者にカルデアは運営できない。
Chaldea cannot be run by incompetent people.
あの若さでカルデアを統括できていた事が、
君の才能を証明していた。
Being able to control Chaldea at such a young age,
You proved your talent.
それを君自身が信じなかったばかりに、
周囲との不和は起きていた。
Just because you didn't believe it yourself,
Discord with the surroundings was happening.
加えて、レフ・ライノールの心的操作。
彼は君を依存させ、彼以外の人間に壁を作らせた。
Plus Lev Reynor's mental manipulation.
He made you dependent, and he let other people build walls.
あの時点でゲーティアの手管は、
魔神柱の企みは完璧だったが……
At that point, Goetia's control was,
The Demon God Pillar's plot was perfect, but...
その中でも、さらに奇跡の一手と言えるものが
レフ・ライノールが君に向けた感情だ。
Among them, there is a move that can be said to be even more miraculous.
It's the feeling Lev Reynor has for you.
あれがなければオレたちに逆転の道はなかった。
魔術王ソロモン。いや、魔神王ゲーティア。
Without that, there was no way for us to turn around.
Mage King Solomon. No, Demon King Goetia.
彼はあの時、人理を焼却しながら、同時に人理の防人 を生みだした。
At that time, while he was incinerating humanity, at the same time he created a defender of humanity.
So, I feel like this stuff with Fou vs. Taylor has been popping up a bit too much lately. It was fun at the beginning as a little hint of something, but it keeps coming up and, IMO, that's building an expectation that the problem between the two will be explored in-depth. If I remember rightly, the early comments the author made about the tension between the two stated that Taylor's status as a failed Beast candidate wouldn't get much attention, save having it click in Taylor's head far down the line. Maybe the author's plan has changed and the issue is going to get more attention, but if not, then this thing between Taylor and Fou is building expectations that won't be met.
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- Location
- Elsewhere
Now I'm imagining Marie getting an application.
Application for Authorization to Observe the Director of Chaldea While Naked.
Bonus points if she has to sign off on it for medical or security reasons.
I feel like at some point it would really help Rika if someone took the time and REALLY drove home just how valuable the education she and her brother are receiving actually is. Like expand a bit on just why it's such a big deal that a Lord of the Clock Tower is personally instructing them (and if it's Marie, EMIYA, or further down the line Reines telling them, why Waver is so respected as a teacher) and why it's an even bigger deal that they're learning at Aife's feet.
"You're learning to be a warrior from someone capable of killing gods! The number of humans throughout our history since Gilgamesh himself capable of that feat can probably be counted on two hands with fingers left over. The number who can do it without themselves possessing some sort of divinity or special Ace up their sleeves to do it bring that number under five. And Aife is one of them. That's the quality of education you're receiving."
"You're learning to be a warrior from someone capable of killing gods! The number of humans throughout our history since Gilgamesh himself capable of that feat can probably be counted on two hands with fingers left over. The number who can do it without themselves possessing some sort of divinity or special Ace up their sleeves to do it bring that number under five. And Aife is one of them. That's the quality of education you're receiving."