anyone else waiting for a moment when he does that and someone takes a stick and bops him on the head going "Bad voices! Bad! Stop! bothering! Matthew!... did that help?"
I'm Not a Regular Mom (FGO OC)
- Thread starter Blinktwice13
- Start date
anyone else waiting for a moment when he does that and someone takes a stick and bops him on the head going "Bad voices! Bad! Stop! bothering! Matthew!... did that help?"
Ultimate battler
The one who witnesses the finale
- Location
- Indiana / Foundation Site 13 (moved to Site 7)
To be fair it seems like the entire archer class is mental timebombs! I mean arjunas are so bad the voices in his head commanding him to kill take on physical form in arjuna alter.
In Which We Set Sail
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
After ten thousand years I post! Again. I blame a mix of Summer 3/4, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX (which I just got, arriving late to the party), and work being... work. Also this went way longer than I planned, holy crap. Mostly because I had specific scenes I wanted to get to before ending it. This is primarily comedy with some heavy lore drops here and there, so read carefully to catch them all - there's a lot of one-offs that will be relevant later.
Content Notes: There's some comedic sociopathy from Matt, and a bit of his more inhuman stuff coming to the fore. Hints at Ritsuka being even less okay than I let on previously, but not without space for him to heal. Allusions to Caeneus' past. As noted in the A/N, this is a setup chapter with one caveat:
Content Warning: Magic Roofie Powers, Loss of Control, Horrific Implication Time, and Celenike Icecolle in General. All in the same scene.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Roman's fingers flew across the keyboard, tracking everything he could with practiced eyes. The Third Singularity. Fourth, if one included the burning Fuyuki. And not to mention the other excursions.
On the one hand, Ritsuka had, again, infinitely qualified backup. Kadoc and Ophelia were both chosen by Marisbilly, and Kirschtaria had been chosen to lead said team. On the other, Matthew was his most versatile servant and had a grudge. Versatile and volatile, as it were. Between worry over the… second youngest functioning Master and the brother of his foster-daughter, Roman still had more than enough on his hands to worry about on the home front.
At least Asako had magus training and borderline Divine Spirit-class Servants. Mash and Matthew were strong, but not 'Grand Magus and Hephaestus & Co.' strong. Yet.
"SHEBA observational lens stable," Hakuno announced, palm played across the corresponding monitor. Blue-tinged binary scrawled across her irises, casting a faint eerie light. "Tracking the displaced Servants. 'Sympathetic Transfer' Magecraft confirmed."
"Aaaaaand we've got locations!" BB chirped with a wide smile. "No visuals, but we have-. Hm. What do you call 'vitals' for Servants? Because they aren't alive, but they're not not alive…?"
"Or you could call them 'vitals' and dispense with semantics," Tamamo no Mae pointed out dryly. "It's not like all of this tech is simple to start with."
"Okay, boomer."
Tamamo gave a slow, twitching smile. "I'm going to rip off your head and mikon down your neck."
"They're all manifesting and flourishing," Nero interjected with a happy tone. She leaned over Hakuno's shoulder, using the top of her head to rest her temple on - all while Tamamo and BB locked eyes dangerously.
Seriously, when magecraft was involved, the old stock anime 'lightning glares' tended to involve actual lightning!
Still, bit by bit Roman and Da Vinci were getting more time to rest and recover thanks to delegation.
Hakuno and BB handled the informational side of things - and BB had almost gladly shown off her continued restraint thanks to Matthew's sneak attack in Septem. She seemed to find it funny. SHEBA, LAPLACE, CHALDEAS, TRISMEGISTUS… all of them were now under the responsibilities of the AI duo.
Caesar and Cleopatra handled the day-to-day aspects of management for the base. Work orders, new projects and the like - Roman was still involved at the top level, but otherwise the two Servants gladly 'ruled' over the minutiae that kept Chaldea running.
And to top it all off, between Medea and Kiara he himself was in reserve for medical. Outside of Team A, those two gave the remaining doctors and nurses ample support.
Point being: Roman was slightly better rested and much better supported than the last Singularity.
Not that it helped much, given the state of the locals. Roman observed from the control room's cameras.
"Stop that," Ritsuka chided, glaring at Musashi for a change.
The Saber rattled her katana once more for good measure, a tight grin spread over her face. "Sorry, Master. I'm just itching for a fight!"
Ever since Medusa was confirmed to be dragged into this mess, Miyamoto Musashi was on edge. Roman didn't know the entirety of the situation, but he guessed he was just lucky Matthew wasn't as bad off.
Kirschtaria stood with Caeneus at his side. "It's understandable. You seem to have a close bond with some of the Servants who were pulled ahead of us." Despite his kind words - or maybe because of them - Kirschtaria was utterly composed. "I've selected the Servants to travel at my side," he continued, addressing Ritsuka. "Have you?"
Ritsuka swallowed nervously. "I'll be bringing Musashi this time. She's a powerful Saber, and even if circumstances were different she'd round out my team nicely."
Roman watched Kirschtaria incline his head. "True. I've entreated Medea of Colchis, with the understanding that-"
"That Souichirou will be accompanying us," the mage of the Age of Gods interrupted. She strode into the coffin chamber, her ninja-husband behind her.
"That we will be accompanied by Goemon, yes," Kirschtaria continued. "As he is an adept Assassin with a wide range of talents beyond stealth and murder, I saw no reason to refuse the condition."
"Che. Here's hoping you don't get distracted by yer new boy-toy." Caeneus gave Kuzuki a once-over. "Though he's a lil' more dour than the last one."
"He hasn't stranded me on an island and I haven't been cursed to love him to obsession, so I consider it an upgrade," Medea replied with a slight edge to her tone.
Caeneus barked out a laugh. "Can't argue that, princess!" He grinned. "Besides, he won't be yelping orders in my ear either, so I'd almost agree with ya!"
"No, that would be my job," Kirschtaria noted in a pleasant tone.
Ritsuka stirred. "Kirschtaria-"
The man perked up for some reason Roman couldn't interpret.
"Eh. You've got ten times the composure and less than a quarter the ego, at least on the surface. I'll deal," Caeneus scoffed.
After a moment's silence, Kirschtaria looked to Ritsuka. "So Mash and Musashi will be accompanying you. Where-"
Da Vinci leaned over Roman's shoulder, drawing his attention from the feed. "Matthew's gone and worked miracles again," she murmured, breath tickling his ear. "I gave him the prototype for the mana insulation mystic code - that scarf I showed you? - and…"
"How long did it take?" Roman asked.
"Hours. He just finished."
Roman's attention was drawn forcefully back.
"Here!" A hat was dumped unceremoniously on Kirschtaria's head from a flyby pixie. It was large, white as the rest of Kirschtaria's suit and cape, and…
"It's a white tri-corner with an ostrich feather," Roman deadpanned.
Kirschtaria broke composure with an expression of awed delight as he set it properly on his head. Roman swore his eyes sparkled.
Matthew, meanwhile, hauled Ritsuka away with an entire outfit under his arm. "C'mon! If you don't put this on, you'll die!"
Ritsuka followed with glances behind him.
Mash simply waved a little with an amused smile, and Musashi giggled behind a fist.
____________________________________________________________________________
Da Vinci hummed to herself. A hat could be easily knocked off, and that would be it for Kirschtaria Wodime. Regardless of his skill as a magus or the fullness of his regeneration, that much mana in the air would create a gradual wear-and-tear he couldn't survive. It wasn't exactly Avalon, but it was very close to the Age of Gods.
She stared at the door to the equipment room, waiting for her naughty apprentice and his Master to come out.
This is the kindest thing I could do for him - letting him die loved. Someone, something like him wouldn't find acceptance anywhere he went. Nor would he ever escape his demons. Really, for all the power he's denied… he's such a tragic little thing. Though if he lived, I wouldn't mind seeing what he grew into.
Well. More than one person put paid to that.
Narrowing her eyes, Da Vinci forced the memory from her mind. Just in time, as the door opened to herald-
Oh. Oh by the Holy Virgin.
Ritsuka was flushed, clad in what could only be called a halloween-store reject. Not that the materials were poor; it was easy to tell even at this distance that the leather and silk were not only genuine but top-class.
Tight black leather pants, sturdy brown boots, and a white shirt open from collar to just above the navel with poofy sleeves. His hair was partially concealed under a red kerchief tied behind his head. Around his waist, a slender belt of black leather with a sparkling gold buckle.
"Ritsuka, your coat! And I got a hat, too!"
"Those aren't enchanted! I can tell!" the teenager squeaked. Squeaked. He was easily too old for his voice to break but damn if it didn't try.
Matthew emerged, clad in his armor and bearing a massive black coat in his hands. He scowled. "Do you know how long it took me to get these!?"
"Foumf." To complete the ensemble, Fou leapt onto Matthew's shoulder. His fur now a solid gold, he held a massive buccaneer's hat in his jaws, with a veritable bouquet of plumage erupting from its corner. His single green eye glittered with playful malice - because the other was covered by a patch embroidered with a fou-skull and crossbones.
...her apprentice may have gone overboard.
"Matthew."
The fairie prince looked up at her. "Oh. Hey, Leonardo!" His smile sparkled innocently.
"Why." She bit back her laughter. Poor Ritsuka didn't deserve it.
"Well… I got bored! The uniform's boring! It's dumb!" Matthew bounced on the balls of his feet. "So I decided to poke the weird voice, and he said pirates! So pirates! And also, a lot of spells woven in for Ritsuka to trigger!"
While the former was concerning, the latter made sense. Ritsuka's magecraft training was minimal beyond reinforcement and a handful of spells, unlike Wodime. The ability to keep himself alive until a Servant could rescue him was not to be understated.
"And Kirschtaria's code?" Da Vinci prodded.
Matthew's lip curled. "It works. Also the spell itself is a contagion; it's probably already spread to his clothes and worked its way in. I put a spin on the usual 'curse' that would encompass a body by making it beneficial. Kind of like Medea and that-"
"But beneficial," Ritsuka cut him off. "Right?" His eyes narrowed.
"Duh. I might not like him, but he said he'll back you up and he's got the skill for the former evil overlord to pick him as a stand-in. It'd be wasteful to kill him before he's thoroughly served my purposes!" Matthew stuck his nose in the air.
"...so you're going to do this for the other Singularities?" Da Vinci asked, neatly steering the conversation away from that particular topic.
Matthew gave a beatific smile.
Ritsuka flushed down his collarbone, all the way to his sternum. His eyes widened in panic.
"Yep! How else am I gonna make Rits appetizing enough for Mash to make a move?"
"Th- I-" Ritsuka swallowed. "Matthew."
"Yes?"
"Do I get a say in this?"
"You like her too, right?"
Ritsuka took a deep breath, and suddenly he just looked tired. "I'm sure either the voice or your dreams showed you what my life was like before I came here."
Matthew tilted his head. "Yesss…?"
It clicked for Da Vinci at that. "Ah."
Fou's ears drooped - he must have cottoned on as well. Da Vinci always knew that animal was too perceptive for it to have less than sapient intellect.
"I'm… I'm not in a good space for a relationship right now. I might not be for a while." Ritsuka took a deep breath. "I appreciate the sentiment, but if Mash and I happen it's going to need to be after I deal with some stuff."
Matthew frowned a little. "But… they're dead. Either your mom got them, or I did in the Singularity…" He scratched his neck. "Mm. Maybe it's part of that 'humans are different' thing." He straightened his shoulders. "Okay."
Ritsuka blinked as Matthew's hands deftly buttoned the shirt for him, leaving just the space around his collarbone open to breathe.
"I won't push. Even if I don't get it, I don't need to get it. What matters is it upsets you, and for you to be happy you have to figure it out. If I can help, I will. If I can't, I'll support you as best I can. I'm not gonna add more burdens to you." Matthew stepped back. "The more time I spend, the more I realize that I just don't tick like you guys. My head's different. But I feel like it's not… Parallel lines."
"Pardon?" Da Vinci asked, startled.
"Parallel lines. They don't cross, but they run in the same direction. I don't know if it's the same for humanity in general, but I can live alongside you without problems." Matthew smiled at Ritsuka. "So, yeah. I'll keep that sort of teasing off the books 'till you're ready."
Ritsuka eyed Matthew for a long moment. "Alright. Thank you for understanding my boundaries, even if the reasons elude you." He smiled a little. "So what does this do?"
Matthew perked up. "Well, a lot of what you've done with my gear is push prana in and go. This is more of the same. Think of it as a bootleg mini-crest. Assorted spells run through a false circuit with a strong tie to water."
Da Vinci stared, smile slightly parted. "You what."
"So the shirt is multipurpose; it acts as a mana insulator while also applying a water-breathing apparatus and is part of a uniform Reinforcement effect across your body. The pants do something similar, but the Reinforcement is more for strengthening your legs for running and swimming. You can do some rudimentary water control by activating it - cycling through phases like liquid, solid, and gas. It's not at the scale or scope of Aoibheall, but definitely close to what my old ring could do." Matthew continued rattling it off. "The belt affords you minor cellular manipulation - if you put one hand on that and use the other, you can patch up most flesh wounds. Bone too if it's already splinted. On a Servant, you can funnel ambient mana into them and drastically accelerate their spiritual reparation."
"I woke you up three hours ago." Da Vinci leaned forward, smile turned manic.
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, I'm working off of principles I've already mastered and Fairy Runes are a massive bypass. Not to mention insulation is easy as heck. It's basically taking the usual bounded field for magecraft and inverting it, then stapling it to a physical object or person."
Da Vinci's smile started to twitch.
"I mean, it makes sense to me," Ritsuka said innocently.
Matthew pointed at him with an accusing look at Da Vinci. "See! He's a layman, so if he can see it-!"
"You. Are the most troublesome apprentice I've ever had." Da Vinci planted her face into her hand and used her other one to point back to the Rayshift chamber. "Go, and loose your trouble upon our enemies. Ritsuka, I leave him to you and Mash. Try to keep collateral down."
For a moment, there was silence.
"So you're gonna wear the hat, right?"
"No."
Da Vinci only looked up when the footsteps started to move away. Blinking with emotional exhaustion, she finally clocked a weight on her arm. And she stared at the ostentatious hat that hung from her pointing hand, while the coat was slung over her elbow.
She looked up and met Fou's visible eye as he rode Ritsuka's shoulder. He licked his chops.
"Mamma mia," she groaned.
____________________________________________________________________________
Kirschtaria Wodime thought he was a hard man to crack. He'd had years of practice in the Clock Tower, years of niceties and cool masks that let him think one thing and say another in the same breath. Years of hovering above the morass of corruption and politics, gliding through what was necessary on the breadth of his talent without compromising what was most important to him.
He'd thought that Marisiblly was like him. A man with ideals, who believed in a world where- well. He was dead and all of his sins were slowly coming home to roost.
Kirschtaria hadn't known about Seraphix or Project: Dowse. Beatrice Di Purgatoriello was startlingly adept, a contemporary of Daybit Sem Void's from his time in the Lore department. It was unsurprising that she'd learned what she had, and done what she did. Not with who and what she studied under.
That didn't make it any less stomach-turning. Those 'Masters' never had a chance. They went in blind and were reduced to wands, their personhood stripped away. That level of experimentation was forbidden for a variety of reasons in the Clock Tower. It didn't mean it never happened, but if it reached the level it had at Seraphix-
Kirschtaria knew about Sealing Designations, obviously. And what happened at Seraphix went well beyond what happened at Alimango. It would have been justified to seal Beatrice and confiscate her work, if only to keep it from spreading. No young or minor family would have been safe otherwise.
But even that paled next to the senseless cruelty of the 'enhancements' visited upon Matthew Kyrielight. All told, he was fully functional from the start. After his resuscitation, his skill at crafting manifested and several mystic codes were immediately commissioned.
Kirschtaria wondered if Matthew knew that he himself was the one who created the prototype uniform codes intended for Team A. The early days when he was still acclimating to Morgan's influence.
It was a near thing, his survival. The black mana was a sure sign of who his possessor was, but for several minutes it seemed that it came and went. Then… Hm.
A great deal of his file was redacted. Nothing Kirschtaria couldn't get through with time and assistance, but Marisbilly had used a blend of coding and magecraft that meant unravelling either separately would terminate the data. But the fact that even in his own files Lord Animusphere covered up who the candidate for summoning was… even the Class was redacted.
It didn't inspire confidence.
Needless to say, the revelations had left him disquieted - even to the point where he let his composure slip.
"Deep in thought?"
Kirschtaria looked over to Caeneus, drawn from his reverie. "Somewhat, yes. It can be disconcerting when your world erupts in fire twice in perceived succession; once literally and then metaphorically." He gave a polite smile.
The tyrant snorted. "Kid's a basket case. You're right to be wary, but…" He trailed off, then looked at Medea. "Tried to pin everything you did on Aphrodite of all things."
Medea shook her head, and Kirschtaria felt a twist of surprise at her fond smile. "I doubt he would care if that were the case or not. He reminds me of the nymphs that would haunt my aunt's shores. He plays well enough at being human, and can even be a staunch friend and ally." Her smile faded a little. "Though I admit to some concern. I can't place my finger on it, but there is a familiarity in what was described to me. Something dangerous."
"To us?" Kuzuki asked, speaking for the first time since Kirschtaria met the Assassin. His tone was as flat as his gaze, but somehow Kirschtaria picked up a sense of disbelief.
"Nah. That's not his style."
Kirschtaria looked to where Ritsuka's Servants gathered in their Master's absence. The Hound of Ulster slung his spear across his shoulders, giving them a stark crimson stare.
"Agreed. If I had to compare what I know of him in person to the notes I have on his outbursts, I would say that it is similar to a latent skill activation." Medea's smile turned fully to a frown. "Though the idea of Matthew with Mad Enhancement is not one I like to contemplate."
"If it was that, then Senpai would be dead. Or Cu Chulainn would," Mash murmured. "They've both stopped him when it manifested, but didn't become targets. Whatever it is, it narrows his vision but doesn't distort it."
"Good to know. He goes off the rails, we'll leave it to you punks." Caeneus folded his arms. "Though if the power that bled off of him was any sign, it might be better to rile him up and aim him at the enemy."
Kirschtaria coughed. "Apparently it was present during the summoning process as well. Whatever it is-"
"Matthew, what did you do to Senpai."
...apparently Matthew wasn't the only one to come out of his shell in the past three months.
Kirschtara watched, bemused, as Ritsuka walked back in with a fragile sort of composure. The faint pink on his cheeks betrayed his embarrassment at his new attire. Though between the shirt and the headrag…
"Hm. A sailing outfit?" Kirschtaria asked aloud.
"Yeah, yeah. Your hat's good enough. The spell ought to be soaking into you by now," Matthew dismissed with a flippant wave of his hand.
"I find it to my tastes," Kirschtaria admitted, tilting the brim forward slightly. It was just so… silly. And plausibly deniable. After all, it was made by a Servant to guard his life - it wasn't his fault if it was gaudy and loud.
Matthew gave him a poleaxed look before rolling his eyes. "Whatever. We're all here?"
"You are," Roman intervened, walking in. "I managed to get my part done, so Hakuno will be handling the main controls."
The brunette housing the Countess of Lovelace gave a small wave. What was apparently one of Rome's dread tyrants draped over her shoulders, while a fox-girl and a teenager in black tried to strangle each other behind her.
"While we weren't able to discern much outside of 'islands and water', we do have a date - 1573, the height of the Age of Sail." Roman rubbed his chin. "However, the mana is dense to an impossible level."
"The guy upstairs says it was supposed to be pirates, but the stand-in for Beast III hijacked it with Greek jank." Matthew jabbed a thumb at his temple. "He's being dodgy about who, what, or how at the moment. Something about us needing to see for ourselves." He scowled. "Screw you, I'm not dressing up my verbiage when I can get my point across in one sentence."
Kirschtaria glanced at Roman. True to expectation, the man looked as though his soul was gradually leaving his body. Ritsuka, by comparison, merely exhibited resigned amusement.
Roman inhaled. "The main thing I wanted to tell you all before you left," he continued in an aggrieved tone, "is that Medusa aside, we've managed to figure out the identities of the others that were dragged forward."
Ritsuka lifted his chin. "Who are they, Doctor?"
He told them.
For the first time that morning, Kirschtaria felt a chill of apprehension.
____________________________________________________________________________
"YA-YO YA-YOOOOOOO~"
The captain stared from where he stood, quite literally frozen in place. "Cringe. Cringe as far as the eye can see," he intoned mournfully.
"RIP. Git gud, scrub." The tiny girl spun the ship's wheel inexpertly. "Astolfo! Haul the line!"
"WHICH ONE!?"
"Ah… sorry for usurping your ship, Captain." The brown-haired boy with red eyes gave an apologetic smile. "Astolfo and Illyasviel are a little energetic, you see."
"Meh. I'm not dead, my head isn't cut off, and I've got adorable kids commandeering my ship. The only complaint is I can't feel anything below my neck, but here I am!" He grinned.
After all, they still counted as 'crew'. And with the mysterious woman and her weirdo assistant backing him, the Queen Anne's Revenge was stronger than ever before.
The captain cleared his throat. "Helmswoman, hard to starboard! Pinky, loose the sails! We've got a good tailwind brewing, and it'll land us near an island where we can make shore and discuss this situation like civilized sailors!"
"Somehow I never thought you to be 'civilized', Blackbeard. But there is someone on that island I've been meaning to gather."
The old woman, barely of a height with the little girl, strode forward from the cabins behind him. Her simple attire clashed with a scarf that shimmered like the rainbow, and her hands were coated in a fine layer of ochre.
"After all, it is in my nature to travel with heroes."
"...lolwut."
____________________________________________________________________________
It hit me that this was the first time I'd taken a proper look at the sky. In Fuyuki, ash choked out the stars. Orleans had the dark. Septem was occluded by snow-clouds. Elsewhere, I was either indoors or in an illusion of history.
I'd never really taken in the ring. Each time, I'd been more focused on what was blocking it, and then on what had caused the interference.
It felt wrong. A burning halo of solid light that carved through the sky, the screams were almost palpable. The death knell of an entire race, echoing through heaven's vault. We'd unmoored it a little; the agony that radiated didn't overwhelm me like it might have if we hadn't unhooked three Grails from this Ritual.
But it was still an abomination that devoured humanity and sought to impose a foreign will upon the World itself. For the first time, something dark and ugly stirred in my chest. It wasn't the spite I felt towards Marisbilly, or the vindictiveness I felt for others. This was more primal; a dark growl that echoed into my bones.
"MATTHEW!" Ritsuka screamed.
Oh, right. We were kind of falling, weren't we?
Well spotted, genius!
"QUIT BITCHING!" I yowled, flinging my hands outwards. Golden runes spun around my wrists, illusion bending light into the shapes I desired.
By meters, our descent slowed. Mash managed to get hold of Ritsuka, and in a flicker her old uniform appeared. She placed the snowflake shield between them and the ground, and Fou clung to her collar.
Caneus simply kept drifting downward with an unimpressed look, almost laying on his side and digging in his ear with a pinky. He caught my eye and smirked.
Medea had already spread her cloak into something like wings, and Kuzuki deployed a rudimentary hang-glider at her side.
Slowly, the screaming stopped. Oh. It wasn't the ring, it was Musashi!
Who was staring at me with a look that promised a thrashing with her sheathed blade when we landed.
"I heard nothing." I gave my most innocent look.
Her eyes narrowed.
Strictly speaking, it was both. But Musashi was closer to you.
I huffed.
Cu somersaulted through the air while Kirschtaria… held up his cane like Mary Poppins?
Hey, Morgan? Are you busy?
Very! Sorry, I forgot how- anyways. Is it dire? Sorry, I'll make time to talk with you soon regardless. It's been too long. She sounded the most apologetic I'd ever heard her. How can I help?
Nevermind. We can talk later. I'll get chatterbox to back me up if I need it.
Alri- AURORA YOU BITCH, GET BACK HERE!
Who?
I didn't receive an answer as we landed.
Kirschtaria gingerly landed on his feet, utterly unruffled. Sand gave way beneath his boots, and he planted his cane in the grit for balance. Medea followed suit, her cape returning to its natural form. Kuzuki's hang-glider folded in on itself, and he landed in a simple roll to disperse what little momentum he had left.
Caeneus landed on his side with a soft 'flump'.
Musashi touched down before her shoulders slumped in relief. Cu Chulainn hopped once or twice to get his equilibrium, but was otherwise fine.
The shield hit the beach with all the force of a falling feather. Ritsuka clung to Mash, whites of his eyes visible in near-panic. Fou gently groomed his visible hair, softly pawing his cheek. Mash gave me a grateful look, shield and armor returning to the new 'normal'.
"Sorry I got distracted." I scratched the back of my head.
"I hate falling," Ritsuka rasped, finally unlatching from Mash and standing up. He took several deep breaths. "So… we've landed."
We had. Of course, that left a few minor details.
"So are we making a boat, or am I freezing the ocean for a bridge?" I asked.
Medea gave me a flat look. "Even during our descent, I saw the scope of that sea. The depths conceal much, and any 'boat' would be insufficient. We need a ship. And going for a stroll on it is even more foolhardy, and wasteful besides."
I scowled. "So what're we supposed to-"
"Well, well."
Huh?
We turned as one, looking inland on the island we'd fallen upon.
...Ritsuka's outfit was way better than that guy's.
"Looks like we found some marooned folk," the scuzzbag continued with a sleazy grin. His visible eye glittered with greed, mirrored by the - what, twenty? - men behind him. "I'm sure we can give you passage off this little sandbar for… yer valuables and yer women."
Kirschtaria's grip tightened around his cane, and a darkly considering look entered his eyes. Knowing him being a magus, he was probably considering the angles-
KRAK.
My head whipped around in time to see Ritsuka's fist lodge into the speaker's sternum. The man's eyes bulged comically, his jaw plummeted, and with spittle flying he rocketed backwards - taking just under third of his crew with him. The men went sprawling over the sand, and though those caught in the impact stirred the foreman didn't get up.
The remaining pirates very carefully did. Not. Move.
"Fascinating proposal. Here's my counter-offer." Ritsuka gave a beatific smile before continuing in a low-pitched, pleasant voice. "As the physically weakest of our little troupe, if you concede authority to me I will leave just enough of your bones unbroken for our doctors to be able to heal you."
The pirates still standing stared in abject terror.
Cu Chulainn and Caeneus grinned with bloodlust. Musashi smiled, rattling her blade in its sheath. Kuzuki remained stoic, and Medea wore a look of prideful irritation.
Kirschtaria stared, eyes almost twinkling. Fou purred, winding around Ritsuka's legs.
And Mash? Mash went scarlet. If she'd had a collar, she'd be tugging it.
Ritsuka pointed two fingers at the pirates, then his eyes. "I'm the captain now."
Well. If that wasn't a cue, I didn't know what was.
"That's right! He's the captain, and you'll certainly never mutiny against him. Riiiight?" I gave a shit-eating grin as I hovered right behind Ritsuka's shoulder.
For a moment, silence.
"AYE!" "LOVE THE NEW CAPTAIN!" "WE'LL FOLLOW YE TA DAVY JONES'!"
Ritsuka gave me a sideways glower to mask his embarrassment. "Was that necessary?"
"Eh. Precautions?" I muttered back.
He gingerly elbowed my ribs. "Right, then! Grab the sod who thought he could extort me, and bring him up for treatment!"
"Damn! Captain's mercy is sure somethin'!" "Who'd try and get one over on him? Too damn nice he is!"
Mash gave me a flat look.
I held my hands up. "Hey, I just said he was the captain and not to betray him. This is allll them."
"Hypnosis?" Kirschtaria muttered, rubbing his chin. "And that stance…"
Ritsuka coughed. "I'll explain later. We have more pressing concerns."
Surprisingly, Kirschtaria agreed. "Right. So Captain Tohsaka, shall we see to our new vessel?"
As one, the standing pirates pointed through the singular grove on the proclaimed sandbar. "It's right over there!" they chorused.
My god. We've adopted/abducted a pack of dumbasses.
I'm already endeared.
____________________________________________________________________________
"And there they go. Riiight for the longboat."
"Darling!"
"Egh. Errrg. I know they're gonna go up against that woman, but really? That little furball gives me the willies."
"Daaaarling!" The whisper became more insistent.
"That ship's not good enough for them to get far. But what're they gonna-"
"DARLING."
"What."
"Hi!"
The great hunter looked down.
Staring back up with an unsettling grin was the tiny blond in silver 'armor'. Honestly, he was barely more clothed than the Archer himself.
"You're cute."
"Darling is~!" And cue the sense of doom from over his shoulder.
"I was talking to both of you."
They froze as one.
"So. Relationship open or closed?" The tiny elemental gave them a canny look.
"D-darling's… mine?" squeaked the goddess.
He pouted. "Drat. Anyways, we're about to head out and I'm not sure how you'll get to further islands. Didn't want to leave anyone behind." The boy gave the two a curious stare.
"Ehhh. I've got my blessing, and Sweetheart can manage. Best if I don't get too close to that Lancer over there." The hunter nodded at Caeneus. "He and my father have a reaaaaal bad history. I'll just support you guys from afar."
The kid perked up. "So I was right! You are friends!" His eyes twinkled adorably.
The hunter was a connoisseur of women, but he was also a man of Greece. He could appreciate an appropriately pretty boy too.
"Ahahaha! Right, right! Don't worry. As the best Archer, I'll be sure to support you and your Master!" The hunter scratched the back of his head with a broad smile.
"Darlingggg…"
"Okay. I'll be counting on you both!"
"Hrk!"
The boy dropped his head with a mutter. "Thanks for pointing them out." He raised his head, smiling once more. "Take care you guys! Oh, and my name's Matthew! Bye Orion! Bye Artemis!" And with a happy wave, wings like an insect's sprouted from his back and carried him towards the small ship.
For a moment, the Grand Archer and his Always Active Noble Phantasm watched the departure of Chaldea.
"Darling?"
"Y-yes?"
"Did we introduce ourselves?"
"...no?"
They stared.
"Something is up with that kid."
____________________________________________________________________________
Kirschtaria looked over their new vessel. It wasn't as large as he'd prefer, and from the look on Medea's face she agreed.
"One good storm and we're through," she murmured. "And that's assuming our new lackeys are capable."
Ah, of course. She'd been on the Argo. It was only natural that she'd have Opinions regarding seafaring.
"What are your thoughts on Matthew?" Kirschtaria asked after a moment.
"Personally, I find him rather endearing. He's quite cooperative when I want to model new suits and dresses, and wears them well." The Caster gave him a sidelong look from beneath her hood. "If you mean what he did to the lowlives, I can't really complain. It's neat, tidy, and makes them of use. There is some kindness - he hasn't bound them forever nor has he maimed their psyches. All he has done is cram Ritsuka into whatever empty places they had in their hearts. All the benefits of a short yet intense friendship without the work or compatibility required."
Privately, Kirschtaria agreed. Ritsuka looked somewhat perturbed, but leaned on Mash's shoulder. It might take some time for him to get his sea legs - or past Matthew's actions.
Speaking of-
"It's big, it's big, oh god I know it's big, my heart hurts-"
He rocked back and forth, curled into a ball near the ships' rail. Cu Chulainn watched him with a look of undisguised mirth, shoulders shaking as he reached down to gently pat the younger man's head.
Musashi had yet to break eye contact with Caeneus, still rattling her blade in its sheath.
"Master-" Caeneus growled, a grin on his face.
"No. Hopefully our next opponents will be either Servants or at least worthy of killing. I'll negotiate with Ritsuka to let you be our point man for such an encounter," Kirschtaria murmured.
"Che. She's all worked up because she's lost her snake-wife." Caeneus' eye twitched. "You'd think she'd have heard the legends by now."
"She's hardly Matthew, but Musashi isn't the sort to judge based on one's past. It does enter consideration, but it seems that she's been convinced by the 'Medusa of the present'." Medea folded her hands over her waist elegantly.
"We have six cannons, a substantial amount of rope and hard tack, ten cannonballs, and two barrels of powder." Kuzuki made himself known, materializing from thin air at Medea's side. "There is also a great amount of scrap metal - former cannons from the look of it."
"Well, if the Age of Gods came to call it explains how they've survived this long. Chuck what you can and pray for survival." Caeneus dug in his ear with a pinky.
"There's a pleasant irony that by us taking the helm we've likely raised these louts' chance of surviving this Singularity," Medea murmured in amusement.
"Astronomically so," Kirschtaria agreed. In the case of no great harm done and ultimately benefiting both the pirates and Chaldea, he had no complaints.
Kirschtaria decided then was as good a time as any.
He made his way over to Matthew, Cu Chulainn's eyes snapping up to meet his. The other man gave him a warning look, then dropped to a knee and slung an arm around Matthew's shoulders.
Kirschtaria became peripherally aware of Ritsuka keeping a sharp eye on the proceedings.
"Matthew," he said politely.
Said faerie jerked upright, green eyes narrowed. "What." The tone was low, cold, dismissive - but not yet violent.
Kirschtaria could work with that.
"Our new crew is somewhat understocked on artillery. There's few cannons, few rounds, and even less powder. I was hoping you might have some ideas for upgrades?"
Matthew's eyes narrowed. "In other words, if we run into a sea monster… Medea and I are kind of it." He paused. "Wait, can you fight and swim at the same time?" His gaze encompassed Musashi and Cu Chulainn both.
Musashi gripped the hilt of her blade firmly with a smile. "No, but I have my methods."
"Oh. Doy. If you can cut a black hole, of course you can cut air." Matthew slapped his forehead.
"Good boy," Musashi cooed, leaning over and poking his cheek.
"As for me, might be decent practice for speeding up my runes. And I can still defend the ship," Cu said pointedly. "Though spears are better than swords for aquatic combat…" he muttered.
"And Caeneus has the blessing of the sea," Kirschtaria said in a low whisper. So long as he didn't proclaim it openly, he ought to be able to avoid Caeneus' rage awakening.
Matthew's brow furrowed. "Huh. I noticed that was the one god you didn't name when listing them off. But with such a bad history, why…"
"It's complicated." Cu's tone was flat. "Don't ask, and don't make smart comments about it."
"Whoa. Aye aye, then." Matthew's eyes were wide.
Kirschtaria gave the Lancer an appreciative nod, only to stumble slightly when the ship moved.
"Weigh anchor! What's our heading, captain?" They managed to get the foreman's name out of him - Bernard. A tall, muscular man with one eye, most of his teeth, and in desperate need of a bath. He seemed to be the senior of the group.
"Ooh, oh! South-southwest! I can feel something in the air that way!" The pink spirit that haunted Mash sparkled into visibility, speaking up for the first time since Kirschtaria summoned Caeneus.
Said Lancer gave it a flat look but immediately dismissed it.
Matthew's eyes grew distant, then re-focused. "They're not wrong. We might find out something useful, that way." He paused, then grinned. "Also, we're being followed."
Kirschtaria noticed that despite the (very worrying) statement, neither Matthew nor the other Servants seemed overly concerned.
He looked out over the bow of the tiny ship, gazing at the waves.
"Darling, we're getting ahead! Darling slow down!"
And at the voluptuous woman with pale eyes and hair, dress flapping in a tailwind as she was dragged along by a spray of water, holding onto a star-studded belt.
"Okay, make that someone's going ahead of us," Matthew amended.
"...Matthew."
Kirsctharia jerked, aware of Medea looming over his shoulder.
"Yep!"
"Was that the moon goddess?"
"Yep!"
Cu Chulainn's shoulders started to shake again, and he bit his lip.
The lady of Colchis gave Matthew a long stare. "Ah."
Kirschtaria shook his head, and looked at the waves once more as their journey began in earnest. But then, a thought crossed his mind.
"...where is Fou?"
Matthew grinned.
____________________________________________________________________________
I watched Wodime shake his head at my non-answer and go back to watching the sea. He seemed… at peace. Honestly, it was the first I'd seen his guard down. At all. Breaking his mask didn't count.
I looked out to the ocean, and at the islands ahead. "Right. Medea, your Divine Words can do a lot. Can they manipulate currents?"
Medea actually froze. "That would be inadvisable." Her tone went… not frosty, but. It was almost like she was scared.
"Mm. If we're in a pseudo-Age of Gods, it could draw the wrong kind of attention," Wodime agreed in a low voice.
"Damn. Damn, damn, damn, and we didn't make the proper sacrifices before leaving port-" Medea's voice grew breathier and high-pitched, words quickening as she started to shake.
Tell her not to worry. That particular threat does not exist. The voice was darkly amused. Given that what we seek to meet struck him down herself.
"Apparently some lady took out whoever would get offended at us playing with water?" I frowned.
Medea's head whipped towards me. "Wh-"
"What."
Oh hi Caeneus.
His eyes burned red - literally, like Cu's. They were wide and I could see the whites, clear of veins or reddening. Still, his grip on my shoulders as he held me against the boat's edge was kind of tight.
"There's a voice in my head that has pretty reliable information. It hasn't steered me wrong before," I said slowly. "Whatever would take offense to us changing sea-currents to our advantage is deceased, and we're on the way to meet some sort of female-adjacent being who killed it."
A human hero. He radiated smug. And it couldn't have happened to a nicer fellow. Raphael has always been vastly more reliable in protecting those on the waves.
Well yeah, that's Raphie. They wouldn't boot ass unless it begged for it. Not from what I'd seen.
"Yeah, so a lady blew up what I guess was a sea god. Girlboss power?" I shrugged under Caeneus' grip. "And Voice says Raphael was better at their job than that schmuck, and since said job was keeping sailors breathing… yeah, good riddance to bad rubbish."
Caeneus' nostrils flared, and he breathed slowly. It was fascinating to watch the red bleed from his iris. His muscles gradually untensed, and while he didn't let go of me his grip loosened.
I poked my head up over his shoulder.
Ritsuka was making his way over, Mash close on his heels. Musashi's sword was halfway out of its sheath, with only Kuzuki's hand on her arm staying her blade. Medea's mouth shut from an ungainly gape, and she visibly swallowed.
Cu's eyes met mine, and he tilted his head in question.
"I… think we're fine?"
Wodime cleared his throat. "Well. Now that we're clear on that point." He looked at me. "What do you have in mind?"
"Medea, most of your spellwork is on manipulating the world around you. For creating things, you mostly do small arms, accessories, clothes and potions. Right?" I nodded in her direction.
"Those are my specialties, though I am adaptable," she agreed slowly.
"So you make sure we stay on course by manipulating the wind and waves. I'll go belowdecks and start refurbishing the tub and making something out of the weapons we have left." I poked Caeneus in the side of his arm. "And if you want to come watch, feel free - but I need a full range of motion to work."
The man let go, staring at me with an emotion I couldn't decipher. "Does anything scare you?" he asked after a moment. "Is there anything you respect?"
Plenty scared me. I had no control over my own life, and the more I learned the more I wondered if that was for better or for worse. I had some strange black mana that boiled up inside me and did things. There was whatever caused the incineration of humanity and its friends who sat just below its punching class. There was this 'Manaka' who trumped it all. Gut was loose, and who knew what he could do with his witchcraft to people I cared about. Even Gilgamesh still made me kind of nervous, despite reining in his worse behavior recently.
"I'm a little harder to kill than most," I answered. "And I know violence. You'd need something different to get me freaked out."
Caeneus frowned. "I know the mindset. I've lived it. Just because you haven't been hurt in a while doesn't mean someone won't find a way," he warned.
I wouldn't go so far as to say he cared, but it was definitely words of caution. Words born from experience.
"I'll keep that in mind," I said with all due seriousness, looking him in the eye. I paused, and exhaled. "I don't know where Fou is, but I can check if you're that worried," I said dryly. "While he can get up to nonsense, it's not likely to affect us too badly."
"It's more that seeing as he was willing to fight for you in Septem, I would rather our ace in the hole be nearby," Wodime replied. "Seeing as something from Greece is wearing the mantle of a Beast-class Servant." He narrowed his eyes. "Though I wonder what it could be…"
I worried my lip. I didn't really have any ideas, but…
"I've got it from here." Ritsuka nodded at me, then looked away. "BERNARD!"
"AYE!?"
"GET MATTHEW BELOWDECKS! HE'S GOING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE ARTILLERY!"
"AYE!"
Well. Looks like I've got my marching orders.
As I walked away, I did hear two more things.
"From what Kiara told me, the third Sin is Desire - they originally intended to invoke Mara, the Demon King."
"...oh dear."
____________________________________________________________________________
The captain shivered, feeling pins and needles across his bare skin. He felt clammy, cloying, unsettled. His mind was dulled, a haze leaving him floating adrift. Lightly, he touched his head.
"Now, now, none of that." A black-gloved hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling it away.
His lips tingled, and his breath felt heavy. His face grew numb and limbs light.
He tore his eyes away from the swimming face in front of him. Over there… someone he knew?
The body faded in and out, scattering into twilit dust. Two figures stood stoically behind the woman who held onto his wrist.
"Mm. I like you better like this," she said lowly, voice all but a throaty purr. "So pliant. That ego of yours is something you're better off without."
"Oi, lass!" A wall of a man stood at the entrance to his cabin, his strange grey angular beard jutting out and hooking upward. "You wished to be notified of any strange activity."
"Tsk." She let go of the captain's face. "Yes?"
"One of our smaller craft's been reported missing, along with twenty men. Not much, but we'd know if it sank." The shadows pulled back to reveal an old man in a maritime outfit. A scar ran down his face and down beneath his collar, and his long beard draped downwards. "None of the beasts of the sea took it. Our last report was that something fell from the sky, and that particular one - not even worthy of a name - was dispatched to investigate."
The woman sighed. "Chaldea, then. I wonder if they managed to subdue the idiots or merely managed to kill them? Either way, they won't get far." She looked back to the captain, and he stumbled on his feet.
Her face drew close, and her sharp beauty overwhelmed him.
"You two, set out. Take what crew you need, hunt them down, and take them. Keep who you wish, but bring me anyone suitably beautiful." She tapped a finger on the captain's lips, and he crumpled to the floor, nerves alight. He struggled to breathe, staring up at her. "You just be a good boy and keep my flagship solid."
The soft clink of chains followed the woman's footsteps, trailing from her and vanishing into thin air. It was followed by the soft tap of sandal against wood and finally loud boots.
Struggling, Jason rolled onto his back.
Chains stretched heavenward outside the Argo, reaching up into the blue sky. A speck of red could be seen, bound in a cocoon of black.
"Honestly. She's so over the top, and with the way she draws on that power she can't see that it's biding its time until it can overthrow her at the last minute."
He blinked. The waves echoed in his sensitive ears.
Eyes like sapphires gazed down with diamond pupils. The girl was small, not even brushing womanhood. Azure hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall.
That was where her humanity ended.
Beneath her bare shoulders she floated in the air on great wings like some thing of the sea. A long whipcord tail extended from the bottom of her torso, which was a flat grey with gills on her stomach. The wing-fins took the place of her arms. The skin of her humanoid face was as grey as the rest.
"Flauros not only underestimated Chaldea, he went and made it personal twice over. Showing a slaughter like that to that softhearted Master, letting himself be outed as the mastermind of the fairy's suffering… what a ninny." The creature huffed daintily. "And honestly, the King has given me no blessing here either. I'd take two of Daji over that half-baked witch. And Romulus-Fenrir? A master stroke! Instead we have the 'Captain of Dreams', the 'Captain of Vengeance', and… you." She narrowed her eyes. "Honestly, I'm just here to monologue because the sound of my voice is likely the most pleasant thing I'll hear for the next several days. Your remaining crew is rendered docile - all two of them. Your 'beloved' just broke, and the archer has made for the Shapeless Isle. For some reason she believes she'll find aid there."
Jason breathed more steadily. A little bit of sensation returned to his limbs.
"Hm. I should tell her it's wearing off. Or you're building resistance." The girl's eyes flicked to the door. "I won't, though." A sharklike smile split her face, teeth and all. "Honestly, even dying might be worth watching her fall. After all the handicaps Manaka Sajyou gave her, she's still a disappointment. Daji would have been a hassle but doable. Conquest is a professional, at least the fragment I've met. The Queen is patently insane, but even she'd be preferable to the audacity of this little-" The demon cut herself off with a watery growl. "Apologies. I was getting worked up."
Jason exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled. "...name?"
The creature looked oddly pleased. "My name? How thoughtful, Jason of the Argo. I am the Demon God Forneus. I am the master of rhetoric, she who makes those beloved by friend and foe alike. I own the sea, and administer the Observatory of the Temple. A monster of charisma, if you will." She winked. "I'd almost say we had some things in common, if you weren't a lowly and pathetic parasite."
Jason almost felt anger at that.
"Mm. Well, Celenike will likely re-apply that Authority sooner than later. If you're this sensible now it's certainly due to interference. That spell of Manaka's isn't absolute, and one good shake will shatter those chains." Forneus floated away. "Enjoy your respite, Captain Worm. I'll be back to talk at you again eventually. Goodness knows you may well be the only audience worth speaking to around here," she finished with a disdainful sigh.
He slowly curled his trembling hand into a fist as she left.
Atalanta… please…
____________________________________________________________________________
A couple hours later, I stepped back up onto the deck.
Bernard had the helm, and Ritsuka stood at his side hanging on for him for balance.
"Don' worry captain. It's all a matter of time a'fore you get yer sea legs," Bernard said soothingly in a rough tone.
"Oh, aye! Took me near a month, it did!" one of the younger crew members announced.
"Pff! That's 'cause ye were a landlubber to the core, Michel."
"Bloody Frenchman!"
Michel's chin wobbled. "I can' help who me da was!" he wailed.
From behind I saw Mash give Ritsuka a soft look.
"Well," I called out, "there's not much going on belowdecks. The weaponry's chained up in one corner, and unless we want to seriously start doubling up in hammocks there's no room for us to sleep."
Mash jerked and gave me a worried look.
"I updated the artillery as much as I could," I continued. "Which… wasn't much. The barrels were almost warped on some, and getting the runes to hold while keeping the cannons in the bounded field was an exercise."
"Unfortunate," Wodime uttered. He didn't look displeased, but there was a slight slump to his shoulders.
I cast a look around.
I saw the tip of Gae Bolg leaning out of the crow's nest, so it was a safe assumption Cu had gone up there to get a better vantage point.
Medea stood behind the bowsprit, head inclined and hands folded. Kuzuki stood behind her, back to back.
On the bowsprit, however…
"Are they supposed to be doing that?" I asked.
Ritsuka looked up. He went pale. "Nononono Musashi no!"
"Sulfur and brimstone," Raphael hissed, darting after him as Ritsuka sprinted towards the front of the ship.
With a clash of metal, Musashi's blade locked against Caeneus' golden spear. Air spiraled back from her, but the pressure I felt from his weapon was… I couldn't begin to describe it.
"Lancer, halt!" Wodime made a mad dash, easily catching up to Ritsuka.
Tendrils of water rose, and with a roar Caeneus thrust his spear. His eyes blazed crimson, and the pressure intensified to the point it was difficult to move my limbs.
I'd never felt it before. It wasn't fear. It wasn't anxiety or hesitation. I simply could not move. It wasn't like Gilgamesh with his personality. It wasn't Daji's malice. I… lack the words to describe it.
It is the power of the depths. He must not be consciously drawing on it, or else he would have forced it away. Water will buoy, but it can also drag down. And the further you're dragged, the greater the weight - until you are compressed into less than nothing. Such is the truest terror of the sea.
Apparently Musashi was never told about this.
With a twist of her blades, she scythed through the air. It parted like gelatin, rippling around the metal as it sheared through. Water sprayed away, and her sword met Caeneus' lance again - but her second blade came from beneath in an upwards stab.
...someone should probably do something about that.
Cu landed nimbly on the deck, confirming that he had been in the crow's nest the entire time. And as much as I admired him, I didn't want this situation to be exacerbated.
Like it would be in seconds as Ritsuka reached out with his command seals gleaming scarlet.
I funneled mana into Aoibheal, and took as deep a breath as I could. Topaz gleamed amber, illuminating my face even beneath the bright blue sky.
"Raphael, get ready!" Mash ordered from my side. She looked at me, then at Caeneus and Musashi.
Let Raphael handle Musashi. You won't like what happens if they attempt to wrangle Caeneus.
"DEATH FROM ABOVE!" I screeched, pitching my voice as high as it would go.
Musashi froze, and even Caeneus' movement stuttered. That was all the opening I needed to launch the Lancer skyward, cocooned in a vortex of air that dragged him towards Mash and I.
Musashi whirled, only for a rope of water equal to her height in diameter to loop around, leaving her head exposed but trapping her limbs but for a moment. She stopped struggling once she made eye contact with Ritsuka, a sheepish look on her face.
Which left Caeneus as he tumbled down behind Cu Chulainn, leaving him to somersault to his feet in front of me and my sister.
He made eye contact with me, bristling. "Did you really just try and save me?" he growled, eyes blood-red.
Mash paled, raising her shield-
"I mean, you'd probably live I guess? Mostly it would just be inconvenient if you got injured. Things are already tense enough." I frowned. "Would it be a bad thing if I- oh, nevermind. Pride thing, huh?"
Caeneus stared at me, teeth bared.
"Right, my ideals aren't yours and vice-versa." I looked at where Cu had his spear at the ready. "How do I resolve this without getting stabbed?" I asked, raising my voice.
He gave me a flat look.
"Caeneus."
Oh boy.
Wodime walked forward, a look of displeasure writ across his face. "What was that? I gave you explicit instructions not to engage our allies."
...good to know.
"She wanted to blow off some steam, and so did I. She cut through the water, and my skin would've kept me in one piece," the man replied grumpily. His eyes began to bleed back to blue, but his scowl remained. "If she'd fallen in, I'd have fished her out. Not to mention the ship hasn't been upgraded so even running under the bottom wouldn't do much to either of us." Caeneus shot me a spiteful look.
"Mm, yes, I can definitely make the bounded field needed to work on this sucker outside my workshop out of running water. Of course." I paused. "Actually, now that I think about it-"
"No." Mash's tone was flat, and my antics were rewarded with her anxiety banished by annoyance.
I grinned at her.
She huffed, but the corners of her mouth pulled up slightly.
I peeked around Caeneus, and…
Oh wow, Ritsuka is chewing Musashi out.
He didn't raise his voice, but the look of quiet fury on his face was something to behold. Musashi actually looked somewhere between cowed and mulish; not arguing back but also clearly not agreeing.
...that's probably my responsibility. I think.
____________________________________________________________________________
Musashi huffed, sitting against the mast. She'd just wanted to spar and let off steam. Kojirou wasn't available, and neither was Wukong. Caeneus volunteered, they'd set rules. And sure, it got a little wild, but that was the point!
"Yo."
She looked up and saw Cu lean against the mast while standing.
"For what it's worth, that divine power that was getting flung around wasn't chump change. I won't say you weren't careful, but I also won't contradict Master."
"We were holding back," Musashi muttered. "It was fine." What she didn't say was-
"I can't blame you, though. The first time is rough." Cu scratched his neck. "When Matthew got hauled away in the blizzard by BB, it got my back up too. I was able to track him so it wasn't as bad, but…"
"She's fine, by the way."
Musashi's head snapped up, and Matthew stared into her eyes. Upside down.
"Why?" Cu asked wryly.
"Felt like it," Matthew retorted. "And the only reason I haven't torn off across the sea to go find Medusa is because I have a direct line that says not only is she okay but we should take a slight detour before going to see her. For her sake."
Musashi felt the knot in her back loosen. "You're sure?" she asked.
"Mm-hm." Matthew huffed, stirring her bangs. "Though that's all I know. He won't even tell me what Fou's up to. At least he was nice enough to point out the Grand Archer."
Musashi nodded thoughtfully, then froze as she processed what Matthew said. "The what."
"Grand Archer? The beefcake I was telling you guys about?" He blinked in confusion.
"You said you were angling for a three-way with a mountain of muscle and his hourglass of a wife," Cu drawled. "You forgot the entire 'Station of the Crown' aspect."
"I mean, I dunno. Orion and Artemis seem nice enough-"
Musashi choked.
Cu took a deep breath through his nose. "Matty. Lover mine. Mischief."
"Ye?"
"How about for the future you run any… potential engagements… by me. For safety's sake."
Musashi watched him process.
"...that bad?"
"Potentially." Cu Chulainn gave a strained grin, his pointed teeth on full display.
Matthew finally flipped over and nimbly landed on his feet. "Sure. Speaking of engagements, we're about to 'land'?" The last word was quizzical, as though he wasn't sure it was the right one.
"It would be dock, but we shouldn't get close enough to shore to-" Cu began to correct him.
There was a heinous grinding sound. It drew out, crunching along the bottom of their ship.
"...land ho?" Medea called out, confused.
Ritsuka appeared in a blur of motion. "Tell me you can fix this."
Matthew shrugged. "Let me look? Might take some finagling."
Musashi made eye contact with Caeneus, and the Lancer just shrugged with a perplexed look. "This wasn't here a minute ago."
Which, if he had a connection to the sea (wanted or otherwise), he would be the one to know.
The Servants made their way to the bow, making sure the Masters were behind them.
Sure enough, they'd pulled up onto a sandbar. A sandbar, which Musashi was lead to believe, had just 'appeared'.
And in the waves stood a woman.
A long red coat draped over her shoulders, and a massive hat sat atop her head. Black boots came up to her thighs, and her arms were ripped with muscle. Hair a red so deep it was almost magenta feathered down her shoulders, and a scar crossed her face. One hand held a pistol of some sort, and the other a polished chalice of what looked to be solid gold. Her red vest strained valiantly to contain her ample bosom, and intelligent blue eyes scanned over them all.
With a silent prayer that Medusa would forgive her moment of weakness, Musashi could only utter…
"Scissor me fuckin' timbers."
The woman gave a feral smile.
"Isn't it 'shiver'?" Kuzuki asked, stoicism shifting to express curiosity.
Medea simply pat his arm.
____________________________________________________________________________
Blackbeard rotated his shoulders. "Ah, that's better." He raised an eyebrow. "So here's my offer. Without me, the ship goes. I'm also the one with experience taking her along. So long as this ring of islands is here, plunder's finite and I'll ultimately get bored. Best way to handle this is follow your heading. Alliance?" He spread his hands.
The little girl gave him a gimlet stare with crimson eyes.
"I've heard worse ideas!" Astolfo chirped.
"But how can we trust him?" Illyasviel stressed.
"Erm. If the ship is his Noble Phantasm, couldn't he have broken out and taken us on already?" the brown-haired boy asked.
Illyasviel stiffened.
"Was wondering if anyone caught that," the pirate noted cheerfully. "Smart lad- wait. Did you ever introduce yourself?"
"Sieg, sir." He smiled happily. "Thank you for humoring us."
"Nothing of it, nothing of it. Besides, my current customer wanted you on and…" He shrugged. "Giving orders while stuck in an ice cube made for good lulz."
Kunapipi, said customer, finally stepped off the ship. "We've arrived." Her tall boy followed her, still wrapped in some kind of pelt that hid his face. The lion's mane gave Blackbeard some ideas, but he didn't voice them. Privacy was already in short supply since he lost his good VPN.
"Right-o! So we're recruiting?" Blackbeard asked. He had a soft spot for kids, he'd admit. Always wanted to do the whole 'chill otaku uncle' bit, especially since the last time he picked up 'Yotsuba&!' at Paiket.
He got enough blood, booze, and sex in his day-to-day! Slice-of-life wholesomeness was where it was, he said!
"We are," the old woman agreed. She tugged on her shimmering scarf, and it seemed to writhe a little. "And it seems we've found the right island on the first try. Well done, children."
Astolfo beamed, Illyasviel blushed, and Sieg gave a bashful smile.
So cute-! Critical weakness, 200%!
Kunapipi lead the way inland, through what appeared to be a dense cluster of palm trees. She was somewhat no-nonsense, but had a gentle air about her. To Blackbeard she felt kind of like a stern grandmother.
The kids followed next, though Illyasviel kept shooting curious looks at Kunapipi's bodyguard. He followed her closest.
Blackbeard took up the rear, glancing back but once.
Something small and gold crested a wave, riding the water inland. Something far larger spouted mist into the air and submerged, a gargantuan shadow roaming the deep.
...he didn't sense any 'danger' from either. Both were a 'threat', but neither was 'threatening'.
With that in mind, he followed the others further inland on the isle.
____________________________________________________________________________
Ritsuka glanced around.
Caeneus' gaze was fixed on the pirate woman in front of them as she led them towards her camp. Intense, probing, but not angry nor malicious.
Musashi had shaken off the infatuation for the most part, though her eyes still wandered. Matthew's restraint was… less. He kept glancing between Cu Chulainn and their 'guide' with questioning looks, and the older man just raised an eyebrow.
Mash had her shield out, humming with energy as pink sparks flickered across its surface. Raphael had dove in on sight, and hadn't come out.
Medea walked a step behind Kuzuki, and the Assassin's gaze was less than friendly.
"So… may we know the name of our host?" Kirschtaria asked politely.
"Hm? Ah, right. My first mate said to set up some defences in case something strange came along, and he was right on the money." She flashed a grin back at them. "Though I'm surprised you all came quietly when it was me alone."
Well, Ritsuka didn't want to risk his crew. After ordering them to cast anchor and hold tight, he'd led Kirschtaria and their Servants down to talk. And after she said 'how about at my campsite', well… they weren't in a position to argue, with a ship that needed reinforcement and limited firepower. If she had her own ship…
"You're not the bad guy, and if we team up we can take them out. It makes sense." And there went Matthew.
"Hoh? Think I'm a 'good guy', then?" the pirate teased.
"I mean, you're a pirate. I think you're selfish enough that our enemy's agenda doesn't mesh with you and smart enough that you won't backstab us until you're triple-sure they're all dead." And again, there went Matthew.
"Sounds rational," she agreed airily. She narrowed her eyes and aimed her pistol at Matthew's head. "But you shouldn't rely on such things, boyo."
Ritsuka tensed, eyes narrowed.
"Okay. Then how's this?" Matthew's eyes flickered, a sign Ritsuka was coming to associate with him conversion with his mysterious patron. "You're from England, right?"
"...I might be." The pirate's brow furrowed, but she didn't lower her gun.
Caeneus shot Kirschtaria a glance, but the man shook his head.
Ritsuka cottoned on. "He's one of the Good People," he explained.
Her eyes snapped open, and her jaw dropped ever so slightly. After a second, she frowned. "Lad, you're a bit foreign. I really don't think you know what you're talking about."
Matthew spread his wings. "He really does," he retorted dryly, planting a fist on his hip.
Cu facepalmed.
The pirate stared. "Well then. A bit of home on these strange seas," she said in an odd tone.
"So I'm willing to make a deal. An alliance, if you will." Matthew tilted his head. "I'll be the only one bound by it, but I doubt there'll be an issue enforcing terms."
That's not our Grail. We're leaving well enough alone there and getting passage on her ship - it'll be big enough to fit our crew, if for no other reason than she has a Grail of her own to modify it to her tastes. And strong enough for me to tune-up.
"We won't try to take your plunder. We just need secure passage on the sea and allies to take the fight to an evil that threatens the world," Ritsuka interjected quickly. "And we won't ask for that for free."
The pirate hummed. "I see."
"So would you rather have cannons that shoot iceberg seeds or thunderbolt seeds?" Matthew asked with an innocent look.
"Eh?"
"Seeds grow and bloom," Medea chimed in, speaking up. "I'm sure you can extrapolate."
The pirate's eyes gleamed. "Can do that, can you?"
"Also reinforce your ship, and help you harness that cup to manipulate the internals. I'm willing to make a binding contract so I won't betray you on top of that." Matthew shrugged. "Honestly, if you let me near that thing without it I'd think less of you."
"I'd hate that to be sure," she muttered dryly. She looked across the group. "Travel for you and yours, my sails and guns against your enemies. Not to mention my crew. In exchange, you want to give my Hind a working-over and an oath of truce."
Ritsuka latched onto the ship's name. "Hind?"
"Mm. The Golden Hind, my pride and joy." She grinned.
"Francis Drake." Mash jerked.
"The woman who sank the sun, El Draque herself." Kirschtaria's gaze turned admiring. "One of the greatest sailors to come out of England."
"Thought your tone sounded familiar. Bit posh, but still from the homeland eh?" Drake smirked. "Odd group. Interesting. And you're friendly enough."
"One thing."
She looked to Caeneus.
"The… thing you killed to get it." His eyes shone with some strange emotion Ritsuka couldn't place. "What kind of fight did it put up?"
"Hmph. Bastard died hard. Raised waves, called a storm. Too bad for him my cannons tore right through his hide." Drake smirked again. "Though I'm curious how you figured out I won this, and from who."
"Fairy bullshit!" Matthew chirped.
Caeneus chuckled. "Basically." He gave Drake a measuring look, then grinned wildly. "I had a score to settle with the bastard, but looks like I owe you one. So long as we sail together, I'm your man."
Drake assessed him, then snorted. "Fine. We'll hammer the fine details out back at camp. You can meet my first mate and my idiots, too. They're not too different from yours from what I saw, but my first…" She trailed off. "You'll see when we get there."
____________________________________________________________________________
Fou snuck along, fully aware that the hairy pirate had seen him. He'd made first contact with a valuable ally - one with sufficient power that would be willing to help. There were enough hazards in the sea that one less threat and one more aid aimed at the enemy were worth a little salt in his fur.
Also, it meant he didn't have to strain himself as much.
Padding along silently, he kept watch over Chaldea's wayward Servants, the pirate, the goddess, and the stranger in the pelt. If he could maneuver them towards the Shapeless Isle, he could get them to rendezvous…
"Hello, there." The old woman raised her voice.
Fou crept forward, inching around a tree.
The group stopped a few solid paces from a small campsite. A fire pit smoldered, with fish smoking on sticks. Seated on a felled log was a man.
He wore black-and-gold armor, with a shield of a metal Fou couldn't identify. (Matthew might be able to, but it wasn't a characteristic he could mimic.) His body was sturdy, with sun-darkened skin. He was dark of eye and hair, with a neat beard on his face. A helmet sat to his side.
Calm, intelligent eyes passed over the group. They even brushed over Fou, and the animal knew he had once more been spotted.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" His voice was soft, pleasant. It was the voice of someone gentle and kind. Large hands gestured at the gathered. "Far be it from me to spurn guests - let alone those so young or among the elderly." He glanced at the pirate and the man in the cloak. "Though not unchaperoned, I see."
The old woman cleared her throat. "I am Kunapipi, and I came seeking a hero. One who would stand against a great evil, alongside others of great power."
The pirate looked a little nervous.
"I come with my emissary. With a dragon-slayer. With a paladin. With a dragon. With a terror of the sea." Her eyes flickered. "With a terror of the land."
Fou preened in his 'hiding spot'.
The man gave a huff of laughter. "I see." He looked at the embers, clearly considering.
"Who are you?" Illyasviel blurted out, confusion in her eyes.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Who am I?"
Silver armor with a familiar bird-crest. A long orange sash, which I'd read was a sign of training from the centaur. Short green hair spiked upwards, save for the rogue lock which symbolized his oath with Peleus. Yellow eyes stared into mine, seeing I already knew the answer.
How could I not know who Drake's first mate was, not recognize him on sight?
He gave a playful smirk that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Call me Achilles."
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- Location
- Caracas
@Blinktwice13 dude you have a sense for irony that's scary, I feel pity for jason, I shouldn't be feeling pity for the blonde dick, but lo and behold, here I am.
Oh it will no doubt, but meanwhile he's suffering a similar fate to what Hera and Aphrodite did to Medea, a thing he took advantage off.
Oh it will no doubt, but meanwhile he's suffering a similar fate to what Hera and Aphrodite did to Medea, a thing he took advantage off.
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- Location
- Newcastle Upon Tyne
... Taking advantage is fairly accurate though it leaves out that he was constantly terrified along the way. (The Mats suggest it from his far more panicked response to her younger self than her older one.)
Really though it's left vague how much Jason knew about the curse at first (if only because A) the Gods aren't the type to tell people things like that and B) he's egotistical enough to believe he managed to charm her by himself) though he probably cottoned on soon enough (the mutilating brother thing). I'm just saying the curse is kind of vague on that front.
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Reality_Impacts
He Who Has Been Seen
- Location
- The Deep Abyss Of Madness
I'M FUCKING SOBBING NOBODY TOUCH ME THE GAYS STAY WINNING
MY LITTLE MEOW MEOW IS HERE THE HYPE IS REAL
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
… Seriously? You just had to bring that bitch into your fic? Really?
burningclaw2
The Power of the Tomato!
It's situations like that, where he's the most dangerous.
- Location
- Caracas
Oh no doubt given young Medea wasn't exactly a bastion of sanity, no doubt Hera and Aphrodite contributed a lot to her mental state going full Yandere.
Look at how Zeus behaves, at how he treats Jason, he is nothing but a toy in his eyes, a piece to amuse himself with.
There is a good reason I keep citing this and Clash of the Titans 1981 as a good way to get onto greek mythology.
Servant of Evil
Verified Evil Minion
- Location
- America
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So, unless I am the confused, is this Patroclus? Like, I don't think we've ever seen him in Fate, and this def isn't Hector...
Tale Swapper
(Unverified Madman)
- Location
- Lost Among a Sea of Imaginings and Dreams
Wait... so are there two Achilles, or is one of them Achilles' BF? Or is one an imposter?
I seek clarity! Please give me some, if it is available.
Also, I'm liking 'cool uncle' Blackbeard. Looking forward to seeing more of him.
I seek clarity! Please give me some, if it is available.
Also, I'm liking 'cool uncle' Blackbeard. Looking forward to seeing more of him.
Servant of Evil
Verified Evil Minion
- Location
- America
- Pronouns
- He/Him
...Brain blast. What if the one in the golden armor is Patroclus (and or someone else), believing they are Achilles, under the influence of a certain new Servant Class? Could be Ajax, based on that shield that was heavily brought up and focused on in Fou's observation of him.
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
-Looks at Rits past and everything he's experianced in story-
Gee ya think?
I see Matthew's decided on a -theme- for this Singularity.
Though he might be overdoing it a bit.
Along with some visits to the base shrink.
It's only called collateral damage if you care aobut the stuff getting destroyed.
Ah the Tohsaka bargining/intimidation method. Truely he is his mother's son.
Aw how cute. Rapheal is probably going to be milking this at some point.
"Right Matthew, roll your intimidation check in support of Ritsuka's diplomacy.....I'm sorry, you have how many bonuses applied to this?"
"...Yeah not going to bother rolling against that. Even a natural 20 wouldn't save them."
Ultimate battler
The one who witnesses the finale
- Location
- Indiana / Foundation Site 13 (moved to Site 7)
Ahh good ol achilles you never fail to make women and unsure men gush with envy and gay rights speeches
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Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So as was pointed out, I did in fact take Patroclus and cram him into Achilles' Ascension 3 Armor - the Divine Construct one. The major tip-off would be the beard; in the existing art of the two Pat is the bearded one while Achilles is smooth-faced. As for why Patroclus is claiming he's Achilles? That's because of his legend and class.
Well, I wanted a reason beyond 'yes Morgan is very busy in the background' for her to be talking less, and LB6 gave me plenty. She is merely the first.
I'll probably add an interlude before next chapter giving that one context, and from tone alone I will point out that Aurora is having a Bad Time.
Well, I wanted a reason beyond 'yes Morgan is very busy in the background' for her to be talking less, and LB6 gave me plenty. She is merely the first.
I'll probably add an interlude before next chapter giving that one context, and from tone alone I will point out that Aurora is having a Bad Time.
Garreon
Paldean Top Champion
- Location
- Mesagoza, Paldea
I swear I can almost taste the sparkles and baby bottom powder.
Medea is a bad influence I see
oooooh, someone doesn't like to have their position threatened I see.
no.....NOOOOOOOOO WHAT THE FUCK IS SHE DOING THERE?! KILL HER MORGAN! KILL HER DEAD WITH PLASMA!!!!!!
Can't be Pretender, so he is a Faker then?
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Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Thought pretty hard about Pretender once that class showed up, but Pat isn't remotely evil enough, and he really only has the one Big Fib recorded. So Faker it is!
- Location
- Philippines
Faker Patroclus huh, cool.
Drake killing Poseidon is gonna earn her some brownie points at least.
And, man picking up a crew and ship was hilarious.
Blackbeard was suprisingly wholesome.
Jason's in a pickle, but that's when he truly shines. So I'm pretty much expecting a crowning moment of awesome from him.
Drake killing Poseidon is gonna earn her some brownie points at least.
And, man picking up a crew and ship was hilarious.
Blackbeard was suprisingly wholesome.
Jason's in a pickle, but that's when he truly shines. So I'm pretty much expecting a crowning moment of awesome from him.
Ultimate battler
The one who witnesses the finale
- Location
- Indiana / Foundation Site 13 (moved to Site 7)
Never forget that in achilles armor no one could tell the difference between the two on the battlefield also on achilles rampage he killed so many people their corpses made the river angry and achilles beat the hell out of it.
Critian Caceorte
Currently Suffering from Space-Time Narcolepsy
- Location
- Washington State
I'm guessing it's kind of a combo of Achilles 3rd Ascension armor and Super Giant!Hades!Patroclus. Could be wrong on that second part though.
Ultimate battler
The one who witnesses the finale
- Location
- Indiana / Foundation Site 13 (moved to Site 7)
Unrelated but my brother and I have a theory that sherlock holmes may be a pretender class possibly arsene lupin.
Garreon
Paldean Top Champion
- Location
- Mesagoza, Paldea
This is the reason why i said he wasnt a Pretender.....although i wouldn't put it past the Throne to have a Neutral or Lawful Pretender in there. You seem to like the class though.....Are we going to see an OC Pretender anywhere in this?
So, seeing as Patroclus once took the armor and arms of Achilles to motivate the greek troops, then he qualifies for the Faker class....makes sense, at least more sense than faker Girlskandar.
I mean, who the hell would confuse than mountain of delicious and raw Man for a twigy girl?
Btw, didnt comment this before, please make Orion and Artemis relationship goals despite their faults and i will love you forverer. Also I loved Matt actually proposing to both like that, Artemis got Bamboozled.
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- Location
- Caracas
Iskandar didn't always used to be a mountain of muscle, over use of Zeus's chariot turned him onto a giant mass of muscle, but it likely took years, so while he was still a bishounen she could fake it.