At least he still had some limits.
Don't worry, Matthew will work on expanding them.
"Fou, be a darling and fetch me whatever you can off that Hydra. It appears to have some other components-"
---
Something softly brushed my cheek, and I glanced sideways. Fou crouched on my shoulder, a trio of red plumes clutched in his tiny jaws.
"That's a dear," I purred, gently scratching his ears.
Fou, Cath Palug, Beast IV, Primate Murder, Privileged animal of Chaldea,
Loot Goblin.
"I have it on good faith that you're… how should I put it?" I lowered my eyelids and gave a mocking grin. "Full of shit."
One of these days Matthew is going to poke something and get his finger bitten off as a result.
"Ehehe… well…" He scratched his cheek with a sheepish smile, suddenly looking far more familiar.
Mash planted her face into her hand. "...the crown acts as a limiter and you went all out. Didn't you." It wasn't phrased as a question.
"Yep!" Matthew chirped.
Some things never change.
Matthew's eyes shut. "How endearing!" he chirped.
…that was the new danger sign.
Ritsuka snatched the crown from his head and closed the remaining distance between him and the faerie.
Matthew's eyes shot open just in time for Ritsuka to slam the circlet down over the top of his head.
The change was immediate. Like a ripple spreading across the water's surface, light shimmered down his body. In its wake, Matthew's normal form - the silver-clad blonde with green eyes - replaced the pale vision he had become. His eyes fluttered shut, and the sudden height differential had him tumbling to the ground.
It's like the Monkey King and his circlet. Both items prevent the wearer from doing (as many) bone-headed stunts but unlike the previous example, this doesn't bother trying pavlovian conditioning (do bad things -> giant headache) on Matthew.
Another arrow fell, this time stabbing into the Hind's deck near Kirschtaria. Once more, the seals on Kirschtaria's hand flared red.
A twist of wry amusement echoed down the new bond with the legendary huntress.
Atalanta, legendary huntress, devote of the goddess Artemis, Argonaut, troll.
"...if you're going to be living here, I'll need to insist on rent."
She looked around the waters. It was surprisingly spacious, but it still paled to her great home in the ocean. Slowly, she pumped her flukes.
FISH?
The not-human sighed. "I'm not paid enough for this. Vivian's Taxi Service, Vivian's Delivery Service-"
First thought; You're paid?
Second thought: Is this what they call a big fish in a tiny pond?
"I cannot blame him for tarring my mentor and the coterie responsible for his suffering with the same brush, but I fear for Britain if they manage to earn his furor."
Easy solution: just convince Matthew to focus his ire on the Clocktower instead of Britain in general. Much less collateral damage.
"Matthew seems hellbent on dragging Ritsuka into the 'family' by way of Mash," Roman muttered with a tired frown.
"They do have pretty good chemistry," Da Vinci chirped mischievously, a sunny smile on her face.
The shipping is spreading.
Dare I ask if there is a betting pool going around?
"While I do have concerns about you overworking yourself even with that assistance, I'd prefer to take a secondary role in administration."
Roman wilted. "O-oh. Okay."
Sorry Roman, you aren't getting out of paperwork hell that easily.
Just something to think about! Morgan's voice echoed with forced cheer. So. What're you gonna do for Christmas?
"...the fuck is a 'Christmas'?"
Well I foresee this is going to be a fluffy and heartwarming part of the story........
And a source of chaos and insanity when the mistletoe comes out.
A white, round, fluffy thing at least the size of a king bed tucked in the corner. Brown antlers touched the wall, barely not scraping. In the faint light, Mash could make out the velvet coating the mighty rack. Atop its large stomach, there was a comparatively small form curled under a thin blanket. Light snores echoed just under the soft gusts. An aura like a peaceful spring wood filled the room. The massive form had long arms and legs, but it appeared that Ritsuka fit on its stomach alone.
Ah is seems Cernunnos decided to visit and he decided to see if Seig was on the mark.
"Ritsuka'd like you very much, I think," the dragon said. "He loves big fluffy things."
While also meeting the first new fairy born in a long time.
