I'm Not a Regular Mom (FGO OC)

[Blinktwice13]

Name: Mari Lwyd
Alias: Cu Chulainn, Matthew Kyrielight, Fou, Worst Santa
Class: Rider
Rarity: 4*
Cost: 12
Origin: Earth

HP: 1768/10,154
ATK: 1,566/9,845

Traits: Humanoid, Hominidae, Demonic Beast, Fairy, Brynhildr's Beloved, Living Human

Star Absorption: 200
Star Generation: 8%
NP Charge ATK: 1.2%
NP Charge DEF: 3%
Death Rate: 15%

Deck: ABQQQ

Arts: 3
Buster: 2
Quick: 5
Extra: 4

VA: Romi Park, Nobutoshi Canna, Ayako Kawasumi
Artist: Takeuchi
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Passive Skills:

Divinity (B): Increases damage by 175.
Magic Resistance (B): Debuff resist up 17.5.
Riding (A): Quick up 10%.
Territory Creation (B): Arts up 8%.
Furry Disaster (C): Buster up 5%. NP Gain up 5%. NP Gauge up 3% per turn.
______________________________________________________________

Active Skills:

Wassailing (Caterwaul): E(X): 9/8/7. All enemies Defense Down 20/30%, 3 Turns. All Enemies Damage Taken Up 500/1000, 3 Turns. All Enemies Stun 1 Turn (100%). Self Target Rate Up 500%, 2 Turns. Applies 1 stack of 'Gifted' Trait to All Enemies, 5 Turns.

Fading Cloak of Mischief (B): 7/6/5. Self Evade 3 Times. Self Quick Up 10/20%, 3 Turns. Self NP Gauge Up 10/20%.

Bad Santa (A++): 8/7/6. All Enemies Heal 1000 (Demerit). All Allies Heal 1000. All Allies NP Damage Up 10/20%, 3 Turns. All Allies NP Gain Up 10/20%, 3 Turns. Applies 1 stack of 'Gifted' Trait to all affected targets, 3 Turns.
_______________________________________________________________

Noble Phantasm:

Mistletoe Massacre: The Time of Restitution Has Come (D)

Quick
5-Hit
Deals Heavy Damage to All Enemies (600/1000%). Applies Sure Hit to Self, 1 Turn. 60% Chance to Charm Targets. Inflicts Terror Debuff (30% activation), 5 Turns.
Overcharge: Increases power by 10/20% per 'Gifted' Trait on the field.
_______________________________________________________________

Default:

The Worst Santa! The Worst Santa Has Come! Flee, you fools, lest ye be entrapped! ...Fou!

The Mari Lywd is a Welsh tradition where carolers hide beneath a drapery and carry a hobby-horse from house to house, offering song to ply food, drink, and gifts. Matthew has perverted it to be a portable Mistletoe Platform to enact mischief according to Fou's desires. Poor Cu Chulainn is along for the ride due to some promise or other. From whom to whom, or if it is being called in or if the bribe is forthcoming... That's none of our business. Really.

Bond 1:

Height/Weight: 180cm, 164cm, 30cm/75kg, 59kg, 5kg.
Source: The Ulster Cycle, INaRM, Arthurian Legend
Region: Ireland, Chaldea/Avalon, Britain
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Gender: Male, Male, Male(Animal)

Cu Chulainn was coerced into being this year's Santa-equivalent, a role often left to the young ladies of Chaldea. Matthew 'plays along' as his 'helpful elf', and Fou is there to oversee his dark purpose to fruition. The Time of Matchmaking Has Come. There Will Be No Exceptions.

Bond 2:

Wassailing (Caterwaul) E(X): Cu Chulainn is known for many talents, and is the sun of Lugh. As such, his vocal abilities are top-rate. Likewise, illusion aside, Matthew has his fae heritage to ensnare and ensorcell. If it were only the two, they would be able to charm even the most dangerous of foes on par with Orpheus.

Fou is a squeaky animal and tone-deaf. His addition surpasses the likes of the Emperor of Roses' in auditory assault. Thus the change in effect and drastic drop in rank. It hurts. A lot. And makes people want to kill them. There really is no way to make that sound any better. We've tried.

Fading Cloak of Mischief (B): A strange mix of Presence Concealment and Protection From Arrows, it is an elusive defensive mystic code. However, due to the limited area it is best used by one person at a time. Given the nature of the Mari Llwyd, all participants must be under it - and given the nature of the duo concealed, it causes some slight agitation. ...this could be useful for escalating their battle performance so they finish faster, but we're afraid to try.

Bond 3:

Riding (A): We're not sure how they qualify for this skill, and we really don't want to investigate. Please don't make us.

Magic Resistance (B): It's gotten an upgrade from Cu Chulainn's own skill due to the power of Christmas! And Fairy Runes. Many, many Fairy Runes.

Territory Creation (B): A rank down from Matthew's norm, due to hiding beneath the Fading Cloak of Mischief. Needless to say, Item Construction is right out.

Bad Santa (A++): Theoretically, Santa is meant to give gifts. In fact, there may have been presents left around Chaldea! This Santa gives headaches. Logistical, emotional, stress, so on and so forth. Cu Chulainn will share his boons with all, albeit grudgingly - and at price. One day, he will collect.

Bond 4:

Furry Disaster (C): A bevy of benefits that come from working with a Beast of Disaster, even in a Larval Form. Fou enhances a variety of abilities, bringing the Servant closer to Santa-hood. ...or something. Mostly he scurries around and terrifies people.

Mistletoe Massacre (The Time of Restitution Has Come) (D)
Anti-Encampment Noble Phantasm.

Fou perches upon the tip of the Crimson Spear, and enacts a Magic Circle Bounded Field with the sprig of mistletoe around his neck. A mere act of affection is all that is needed to break free.

...however.

Cu Chulainn has no desire to celebrate the holiday that usurped the winter festivals of his people, and if he does not get 'something' out of it, he will make his ire known. The more he has given, the greater his rage - and he will unleash it all upon the targets gathered for festivity. Matthew merely helps for the chaos of it all, and Fou follows after.

The rank comes from the fact that neither Gae Bolg nor Anwynn Ataraxia are made use of, nor any other form of violence outside of merry fisticuffs. A cloud of dust often obscures the 'comic' carnage that entails. ...in a dire occasion, perhaps 'Thunder Feat' may be overheard.

Bond 5:

While the disposition of this Servant may vary amongst its components - surly, mischievous, and Machiavellian - they do ultimately mean well. They won't harm the Master, and allies are safe from their ire. If they were to encounter an enemy camp, all bets are off. For the purposes of INaRM, the dangers they represent are mostly absent in favor of merry mischief.

The reason? Ultimately, Fou and Matthew wanted to give Mash an excuse to hold Ritsuka's hand for Christmas. They simply chose the route to make it everyone else's problem. Including Cu Chulainn's. They are very lucky he likes his 'Mischief' so much, or there would be some resentment for certain.

A very odd Servant, and one not likely to be encountered anywhere else.

EXTRA (Clear 'Fou-Ex's Mistletoe Massacre')

And so Christmas came to a close. Many couples became closer, flings occurred, and even new love blossomed on the Holy Night. Families reunited, and new friendships were struck.

And Cu Chulainn got his repayment. All's well that ends well, right?

At least, until next Christmas. ...is this to be a recurring Santa?

Heaven help us all.

 

[Chrono1990]

With the release of Heian-kyo, any servants folks here looking to get?

 

[Chrono1990]

hope things are going well, Blink. looking forward to future chapters.

 

[Blinktwice13]

hope things are going well, Blink. looking forward to future chapters.

Click to shrink...

Thanks!

I've been a little busy between Heian-Kyo, Pokemon, and the holiday. I have an Interlude titled and as those tend to be shorter, I hope to get it out before my next family vacation next week.

Work permitting.

 

[rafuki22]

Thanks!

I've been a little busy between Heian-Kyo, Pokemon, and the holiday. I have an Interlude titled and as those tend to be shorter, I hope to get it out before my next family vacation next week.

Work permitting.

Click to shrink...

Can i post several sentences that showcase one the things that i think is wrong with your writing in this fic?

 

[October Daye]

Can i post several sentences that showcase one the things that i think is wrong with your writing in this fic?

Click to shrink...

Hey. Psst. Hey. Guess what.

Quick rule of thumb.

If you have to preface the thing you planned to post by asking if it's kosher to even say the thing(s) you planned to in your post? Then the answer is no, you cannot say the thing.

AND before you try to get cute, no, this does not mean go into PM's.

 

[rafuki22]

AND before you try to get cute, no, this does not mean go into PM's.

Click to shrink...

I don't really get into PM's.

And i was just asking if they wanted to hear some criticism.

 

[October Daye]

I don't really get into PM's.

And i was just asking if they wanted to hear some criticism.

Click to shrink...

Then let me reiterate what I said.

If you are so worried about the criticism you want to give that you have to ask if it's appropriate to offer it, the answer is no it is not.

If you're not enjoying the fic for xyz reason you want to criticize, close the tab.

 

[rafuki22]

Then let me reiterate what I said.

If you are so worried about the criticism you want to give that you have to ask if it's appropriate to offer it, the answer is no it is not.

If you're not enjoying the fic for xyz reason you want to criticize, close the tab.

Click to shrink...

I don't think that the criticism is offensive and inaproppiate.

I'm more worried about the response, because from what i saw, they and the readers didn't recieve the criticism well the last time i saw.

 

[October Daye]

I don't think that the criticism is offensive and inaproppiate.

I'm more worried about the response, because from what i saw, they and the readers didn't recieve the criticism well the last time i saw.

Click to shrink...

The fact that you're trying to argue this doesn't really give a good message, my dude.

You asked if the author wanted criticism. The author has not responded with a "yes", and has been viewing the thread this whole time, if you scroll to the bottom.

Take that as the "no" it's clearly meant to be, and drop it.

 

[rafuki22]

The fact that you're trying to argue this doesn't really give a good message, my dude.

You asked if the author wanted criticism. The author has not responded with a "yes", and has been viewing the thread this whole time, if you scroll to the bottom.

Take that as the "no" it's clearly meant to be, and drop it.

Click to shrink...

I suppose that i was arguing, but i was just answering you.

If the author doesn't want it, that's fine.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Spoiler: A/N

EIN. Also, I reveal what I've been building up to for Ritsuka since Very Early in this fic.

Content Notes: Gilgamesh being Gilgamesh, some mood whiplash at points.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

He did not know ahead of time what 'Christmas' was. There was no time to procure gifts - not by purchase, by craft, nor by theft. And yet.​

Musashi turned the box over in her hands, wrapped in simple silver 'paper'. "So what do you think we got?"

"Who can say?" Medusa lifted her own, eyes lowered. "To my knowledge he was unaware of the holiday to start with."

Musashi shrugged and tore the wrapping open. "Well, I won't ask." With deft fingers she pried the tape away, only to reveal a simple wooden chest the span of her hand - heel to fingertip. With a flick of her nails, the lid opened. Inside was a simple white cloth.

"...well, it was short notice," Medusa murmured. She paused as Musashi's eyes widened. "Or…?" she prompted.

The swordmaster let out a soft sound. "Aw, Matthew." She pulled the cloth from the box, and held it in one hand. With the other, she shifted on the bed and pulled forth one of her blades. Medusa watched as with a single stroke of the cloth, the blade shone. Her eyes reflected on its surface while she leaned over Musashi's shoulder. "It's for blade maintenance. I mean, as a Heroic Spirit my swords don't need that upkeep, but it's really a sweet gift. Even better, it works without oil!" Musashi grinned. "Even if it's only for appearances, I really like it."

Medusa glanced at her gift. With a quick twist of her wrist, the paper fell.

"Hm. 'Nightwood'?" The book's cover was soft against her palm. The lettering seemed oddly familiar…

"Huh? What language is that?" Musashi peered over her shoulder, bare skin brushing against her own. "It's not English, and definitely not Japanese. The characters are pretty odd, too."

The pieces clicked together. "Ah. It's Greek. Likely from my own time." Medusa gave a small smile. "He translated it."

"Okay, wait. That's not something he can explain with 'I cheated using Item Creation in my temple', you know!" Musashi scowled cutely.

Medusa flipped the pages, only to catch a loose slip of paper near the back of the book. "Ah." She pulled it out.

"An explanation? Read it!" Musashi pressed her cheek to Medusa's.

The goddess gave a low chuckle. "As you wish."

As she read it aloud, Musashi gave a soft sigh. "That dummy."

"Hmhm. Perhaps we should figure out something to do for him in return, no?" Medusa's smile turned sly.

That earned her a roll of the eyes. "Please. After all the effort that spearman put into ruining him, that'll be a breeze."

Medusa didn't disagree.
____________________________________________________________________________

Somehow, after all was said and done with the mischief wrought in the heart of Chaldea, a select handful received gifts. Gifts that showed signs of forethought and affection - in varying measure.​

Kadoc and Ophelia sat before the packages, staring at the innocuously wrapped objects.

"...you first."

Ophelia narrowed her eyes. "You've been friends with him longer. The danger to you is far less."

"Yeah, I've known him longer and he's never given me something that isn't mission-critical." Kadoc gave her a dead-eyed gaze. "Not it."

The third member of their gathering let out an exasperated huff. "The likelihood of him giving us something harmful is next to none." Hinako lightly shook her package.

Ritsuka frowned. "He's never given me anything dangerous."

The three veteran members of Team A and Mash exchanged a look over his head. The general consensus was-

"You sweet summer child," Hinako droned. "He likes you."

"Doesn't he like all five of us?" Ritsuka pointed out.

Mash went slightly pink. "It's never stopped him from being… perturbing. Or embarrassing, as of the last few months."

Ritsuka took her hand, causing her to squeak in mortification. "I really don't think he means any harm this time," he said soothingly.

Ophelia's demeanor cracked as she gave a small smile. "Well… if you think so."

Kadoc closed his eyes with a placid grin. "You first, fearless leader. Oof." He winced, courtesy of Ophelia's sharp elbow to the side.

Ignoring them, Ritsuka opened the package. He gently tore the tape and paper, lightly unfolding the wrapping. When it was fully uncovered, his hands stilled.

Hinako leaned over, only to lower her eyelids. "Ah. As I suspected." She reclined, primly unwrapping her own gift. She paused as the ribbon fell to the floor, eyes widening.

From her position, Mash could make out the stark red, held in place inside a disc. She leaned over, and let out a sharp breath.

Hinako held a perfectly preserved bloom in her hands, a poppy sealed in glass. Affixed to a thin yet strong chain of silver, it was clearly meant to hang on a wall as decoration. She wasn't sure of the significance, but Hinako quickly covered it with the remaining paper. The Master gave Mash a dark look. "What."

Mash squeaked and looked back at Ritsuka's gift. It seemed like a safer bet.

The collection of gems and hilt stood in stark contrast to that. Thin slivers of diamond, topaz, ruby, sapphire- that and more, all laid down neatly. They were angled above a leather-wrapped cylinder of a silvery metal that bore resemblance to Matthew's own armor.

"...Senpai?"

Ritsuka closed the lid of the box, swallowing nervously. He looked around, blinking.

"Huh?" Kadoc held up a CD. "Huh. I didn't have this one." He frowned. "Wait, what's that?"

A scrap of paper laid on the unassuming wooden chest.

Mash read it.

Raziel said you would like this. I hope he's right; Gilgamesh nearly bust a gut laughing at me when I asked for the materials. The gems - the metal I managed to get through-

There were several lines of scribbles.

Anyways, it's rare stuff. Take care of it! It was supposed to be for your birthday, but I didn't know when it was and Da Vinci told me presents were a thing.

Mash let out a groan. "So he repurposed birthday gifts for Christmas presents? Matthew." With a firm tug, she tore open her own gift.

The stuffed animal inside stared blankly up at her. A handmade plushie in Fou's image, the white fur he wore before he'd synchronized with her brother of all people.

I made this from memory, so sorry if it's not super accurate. Happy Bir Merry Chrima!

Beneath, a pawprint.

Mash sighed, smiling a little. "Of course." She glanced at Ritsuka, who was pale and still. "Senpai?"

He jerked. "It's. It's fine. I'll need to talk to my mother about it, but it could be useful if I can get a handle on it." He gave a shaky smile before looking away. "Or use it at all," he muttered, just on the edge of Mash's hearing.

Ophelia let out a soft gasp.

The rest looked as she held the small, delicately ornate tea cup and saucer. Several others sat in her box, somehow defying spatial reasoning by further containing a teapot of all things. "They're adorable!" she whispered, eyes shining.

Hinako snorted. "Well. It seems he tried to put some thought into these, at least." She stood. "I've had all the socializing I can stand for one night. Try to get some sleep; I'm sure some new crisis will arise tomorrow." She squinted at them from behind her glasses.

"Good night, Senpai," Ritsuka offered with a firmer smile.

Kadoc let out a yawn, then stretched. "I'm calling it a night too."

Mash sat back and watched, fingers carding through her 'Fou's fluff as she watched the Masters offer well-wishes and make their way out of the room.

Ritsuka seemed alright, but the look on his face when he opened his gift…

"Mash?"

She looked up.

Ritsuka offered his hand, smiling softly. "Shall I walk you to your room?"

She smiled back. "Yes, thank you!"

____________________________________________________________________________

And so not only to friends and loved ones, but family as well.​

Artoria gave a pleased hum as she examined the whetstone, running it along Excalibur's length. "How thoughtful. These stones are well-suited for handling blades such as ours."

Gawain nodded. "Of course, my king." He smiled a little as well. "I wondered if he would try to offer us something more substantial to use in battle, however."

She shook her head. "Doubtful. He tramples through things socially, but he would not give such an offense wittingly or willingly."

"Would it offend? Many of our blessings and trappings came from the fair folk or other such places." Gawain's brow drew in confusion.

"No, but consider his lovers. Can you imagine Ireland's Child of Light accepting an amulet with any grace?" Artoria inclined her head conspiratorially.

Gawain chuckled. "He'd take him to the simulation chambers for that, no doubt. Whatever 'his' Morgan told him of us, experience with the warriors around him would urge caution." He tilted his head. "Though, I do wonder about the others."

"Rider is a pragmatist, so I cannot see her being overly displeased. I do not know the swordswoman particularly well." Artoria squinted in irritation. "Gilgamesh would likely laugh and toss whatever was offered into his treasury without much thought."

Gawain shuddered. "I will never understand what anyone would see in that man."

"He is noble in his way, but as he is in his prime… handling him is difficult, to put plainly." Artoria shook her head. "I wish our Masters the joy of him, and hope we are never called upon at the same time."

"Agreed." Gawain smiled. "My king… thank you for spending this time with me."

"Naturally. We've spent our time working alongside young Mash, and as Matthew has reminded me - intentionally or otherwise - we are, in fact, blood." Artoria smiled back.

"Mm. We should take the two on an excursion as knights, yes? If only to affirm our bonds." Gawain perked up. "The next Singularity is yet ahead; why not ask Master when the holidays end?"

Artoria hummed. "That has promise. Myself, you, Galahad by way of Mash, a Fae of Avalon… it would be an interesting adventure, certainly." She nodded. "Excellent idea, Sir Gawain. I shall pose the question to Ritsuka tomorrow."

"Shall we bring his grace, then?"

Artoria blinked at Gawain's innocently eager look. "Pardon?"

"Queen Emiya, of course! From hearsay I've heard he is quite accomplished with a bow, and respite from his role in the kitchen should be appreciated!"

Artoria cleared her throat. "I… shall ask." Her lungs, ether as they were, fluttered in her chest with restraint.

Gawain gave a firm nod. "Very well!" He gave a broad grin as he stood. "Now, as it stands - a fair maid from engineering seemed somewhat receptive to my wooing, so I would go and speak with her anon. I'll leave the planning to you, my king! Good night!" He strode confidently from the room, a certain spring in his step.

Artoria waited until her instincts told her Gawain was outside of the range of hearing. Then she waited a few moments more.

And she collapsed into silent giggles, wheezing into her hands after she set both blade and whetstone on the table.
____________________________________________________________________________

Even caretakers were not exempt. Bits of bric-a-brac, some crafted earlier for other occasions, but dispensed on the holy night for the sake of tradition.​

Roman stared at the offending items on his desk.

"Romani," Leonardo cooed. "Aren't they adorable?"

A pair of matching mugs. 'World's Best Teacher' and 'World's Okayest Dad'. He felt his stomach roil.

"It seems to be a pattern. Small, innocuous gifts to communicate his feelings. Some made within the past days, and some beforehand." Da Vinci placed a finger on her chin. "These mugs, for example, have quite the elegant little warming mechanisms built in. Not to keep them hot, but still several degrees above lukewarm. Drinkable, but at the proper temperature. Nicely done, a solid effort." Her smile was enigmatic.

"True." Roman let out a gusty sigh. "When did he have the time?"

"In terms of creating such items, he cheats. By utilizing his magecraft he forms the physical base. Of course, the method of enchantment could also be considered 'cheating' as the mechanics seem to be primarily runic in nature." Da Vinci gave a fierce smirk. "I'm onto you, my naughty apprentice. Once I manage to automate aspects of production, I will catch back up in terms of speed!"

Romani gave an awkward chuckle. "Ah, well-"

The sound of a clearing throat drew their attention.

Kirschtaria stood at the doorway of the office.

Roman sat upright. The Master's expression was as cool and flat as he had ever seen it.

"You should see this." His voice was calm, just this side of cold. "I've found something."

Da Vinci's eyes dimmed. "It's too much to hope that it's a package from our resident pixie, isn't it."

Kirschtaria's lips curled. The expression was devoid of mirth. "More's the pity."
____________________________________________________________________________

Of course, some had more meaning than others. But that should be of no surprise.​

He lifted the box in his hands. A soft velvet case longer than his arm by some measure, Gilgamesh allowed himself to ponder its contents.

It's the first one I've made outright. Septem was a real eye-opener in weapon forging, but making one from scratch took forever! By my standards. Thought you might like it. I dunno when your birthday is, so I figure this Crisis thing is as good a time as any. Hairy Chrysler!

He let out an amused huff. "Impudent craftsman." He ran his fingers down the case. "How lucky you are that I find you both fair and unique enough to curb my ire." He smirked. "Although I will admit, such childish playfulness amuses me. Truly, the fae are the most 'innocent' by any measure. One wonders what that means for a child of both worlds, then…"

The fae are innocent in that no good is beyond them, but likewise no evil is unthinkable. Morality is as alien to them as the beasts of the field. They are made to fulfill their function, nothing else. Some have functions complex enough that they can ape humanity. Some rise high enough to become Divine Spirits or even Gods, and so attain complexity. But one must never assume that they are as humans.

To them, all is transient in the face of their roles. Such are those kinds of elementals.

Gingerly, the king opened the case.

The shape was that of a sword. The width of the shimmering blade was two fingers, and the length was five-six-seven hands. The guard was twisted gold, as though something molten and then frozen in time. The spiral seemed itself in motion, like liquid sunlight. The hilt itself spun into a twirling cone, only to flare out at a spherical pommel.

Gilgamesh gave a hum of curiosity and lifted it.

Images flashed in his mind, sliding past his closed eyes with ease. Tongues of flame licked the countryside, light refracting and searing the world. A blade of sunlight, the very essence of dawn trapped within its edge. That which was dead, that which outlived its stay on the face of the world - a blade to harm immortals, if not outright kill them. The weight of it, the power…

"Ah." Gilgamesh lifted the blade, and with a thought the air shimmered with the Gate of his Treasury. Gingerly, with respect, he slid the weapon point-first into the portal.

Somehow. Somehow, it was near in power to a Noble Phantasm. Somehow, a miracle of that scale, in the span of a month or barely more, had been forged alongside whatever other projects the craftsman had begun.

And still. And still, he managed to live a life outside of his atelier. He engaged with others, went into the realm of the Sealed Seas, traveled through time-

Gilgamesh smiled to himself. "A gift worthy of the king. How very curious."

The rings that had been forged still weighed slightly on his hand.

The craftsman could grow because he inherited nothing. The craftsman could change because his frame was shattered. 'Matthew' was a fascinating creature, from his body to the works of his hands.

The functions of his mind were ever askew, and it was a testament to the character - not skill, or fortitude, or determination, but the inherent goodness of the Master known as Ritsuka Tohsaka - that he was as placated as he was.

The faerie's mutable nature would have run roughshod over the likes of the white-hair or the keeper of the eye. The elemental would have let him run wild. The apprentice to the Lord of Astromancy might have been able to match Tohsaka's feat, but only if he could overcome the image of his mentor and his own breeding alike.

No. Ritsuka Tohsaka was the only Master that could have brought 'Matthew' in line as he had.

"I wonder… will you grace us soon with your name and title, little prince?" Gilgamesh huffed with amusement. "A prince of the elementals, heir to the isle on the other side of the world. Hm." He curled his fingers into a fist, gazing upon the rings that adorned them.

"If nothing else… I will admit that any concern of boredom is long put to rest."
____________________________________________________________________________

Cu Chulainn, Hound of Ulster, Child of Light. A man who was born mighty, earned skill, and earned every treasure he claimed. His blessings he carried from birth, and his weapons he earned through tutelage at Dun Scaith and beyond.

He had spurned the love of a goddess and all that would have entailed - either the poor end assured of one who had the affections of the Carrion Crow, or worse… unending victory without effort. Either was nothing to be desired.

The man looked down at the smaller form, swaddled as he was in a nest of blankets. A tuft of golden hair peeked out of the top, and the mound rose and fell in time with the youth's breathing.

Cu smiled to himself, and stretched out next to him. The fabric of his pants dragged long the sheets with a soft whisper, too quiet to disturb the mischievous pixie.

Watch him.

Though, there was a time where mischief could turn to malice. For what was that but mischief without restraint? Though the reaction was due to someone he cared for being threatened.

…a different form of care from what he felt for Cu, but certainly not lesser. If anyone were fool enough to say that Matthew had not imprinted on their Master as much as Mash had, one only need see the devastation he had wrought on Celenike's fleet to put paid to that concept.

He sighed. "What am I to do with you?" he murmured.

Breathing so soft it could not be called snoring was his only answer.

Cu reached out, gently carding his fingers through soft blond hair. Something in his chest grew tight. Such vulnerability, such trust… the number of times Emer had allowed such things he could count on his hands. Ferdiad, but once. Even those he seduced over his years still held him at remove - in wary awe.

It lit a strange fire in him. He'd known that his initial plans had fallen to ruin, and that he'd gone into this under false (if friendly) pretense.

But somehow, after being dragged into the entire ordeal of 'Christmas', after every touch and taste, to be here with the young man dangling over the abyss-

"Ah. I've burned myself once again."

If it was necessary… if he had to… he could. He would. In some sick, twisted way, it might have even been why the Counter Force had chosen him.

But if it was at all possible, he would fight to avoid that end. There had to be another way. After all-

After all, he had taken his nights with women of Chaldea. The pillow talk, illuminating - the tales of the terror that stalked the halls, reclusive yet vicious all the same. He'd heard the outside perception.

To compare that to this, to what he'd seen Ritsuka Tohsaka, Mash, and himself bring out of the boy… it would not be the work of any one person. It couldn't.

But he knew what it meant when Orion did not return to say farewell. Knew that something had progressed to a point where a different face would be needed, for duty's sake.

"Fmf."

Cu stirred, jolted from the circling thoughts that neared that edge of blood.

Fou - Cath Palug, a Beast of Disaster - gazed upwards at him. In its mouth rested a simple box wrapped in silver, a vivid green ribbon holding the paper diagonally.

Gingerly, he took it.

The small creature turned, burrowing into his master's cocoon. Soon, a pair of rabbit-like ears poked out alongside Matthew's hair.

"Hm." Cu turned the package in his hands, gently removing the ribbon. He pulled the paper apart, leaving a wooden box. Upon it was etched a symbol called a triskelion, where three spirals joined.

His lips twitched upward. With a gentle flick of his wrist, he opened the container.

On a bed of deep blue velvet sat a bracelet. Leather twined gently, dyed a blue so deep it was almost black. Strung along it were small silver charms. Another triskele, a celtic knot, a feather, a butterfly, a dragonfly-

A wolf-hound's profile.

It was simple enough, yet the ornamentation was in its way elegant. He lifted it out of the box, squinting at it. At first blush, it looked like a protective amulet. Of course, that was silly.

Watching his back was one thing. Being protected was a downright insult. One he'd happily educate Mischief on, at length.

He smirked. It could be fun, after a fashion. Most likely for both of them.

Idly, he slipped the bracelet on.

It was instant. He became pointedly aware of where Matthew was, his physical condition, even felt a dulled-down-

sleepsafequietcalm

Sense of his emotions. It was not unlike what a Master would feel from a normal Servant, but with a greater focus on location.

To make this, it would have taken blood at the very least. If not more.

Cu Chulainn bit his lip firmly, exhaling through his nose. How many times? How many times had they been parted, where he had to worry?

It was a borderline invasion of privacy. It was an extension of ultimate trust. Looking upon Matthew Kyrielight as a whole, it was defiance in the face of his upbringing in the shadows of Chaldea, and a statement of affection and devotion that Cu Chulainn was unsure how to match.

He couldn't hide behind his masks of cheer. He couldn't vanish. So long as Cu wore this charm, he could feel/see/know him without fail.

"That's that, then." Cu's lips parted, and he gave a sharp grin. He shimmied over to Matthew's bundled form, and immediately trapped it in a cage of his arms and legs.

"Nn?"

groggysafewarmquiet

"Go back to sleep. I've got you." Cu tucked his head under his chin, and let out a content huff.

"...kay."

Fou's ears twitched.

And so ends the Holy Night, with Santa's gifts dispensed. To a select few, to those closest. To family and friend and lover and caretaker. Some were but baubles. Some had meaning. Some would even change the course of the battle for humanity's future.

But that is a story for another time. Whether a celebration of a solstice, the sign of a new messiah, or something else altogether - the celebration has concluded.

And now my plan begins to take form.

'Ware, o' spell mimicking the corpses of my siblings. 'Ware, o' doll enraptured by the King of Knights. 'Ware, o' Queen of the Blessed Isle.

For I shall show you the meaning of craft.

This is what won the war of Heaven.​

 

[Blinktwice13]

Spoiler: A/N

ZWEI. Remember how Kirschtaria said he'd look for Marisbilly's office?

Takes place immediately after Roman and Da Vinci's segment in 'Interlude: Santa'.

Content Warnings: Intense Dehumanization
______________________________________________________________

Video date, January sixth of twenty-seventeen. Authorization: Animusphere, Marisbilly. Time: noon.

I have little time left. If nothing else, if what I fear comes to pass, I must leave this record.

Kirschtaria Wodime. If nothing else, I know you will understand the measures I took, once you understand the threat you face. A threat of my own creation.

Beyond the year 2020, human history could not be perceived. This much you know to be true. You will also be aware of the Demi-Servant Summoning Program.

Through rigorous testing, and ultimately tying the sole success to the FATE system, we produced 'Shielder'.

Of course, 'Shielder', also known as 'Mash Kyrielight', was not the only 'survivor' - but she was the only 'success'.

Caster Seven, Batch Five, was an abject failure in every regard. This is not a recent discovery, nor a matter of opinion. I have redacted all information regarding it for this reason. His mere existence has already shaken morale, let alone when he inflicted the wound on my leg. If the truth were to spread, Chaldea would fracture internally.

I must start at the beginning. For the Demi-Servant project, we utilized a blend of 'compatibility' summons and 'catalyst' summons.

To a one, the 'compatibility' invocations were catastrophic failures. As the designer babies were blank slates, there were no extant personalities to match to Heroic Spirits.

Each invocation resulted in the overload and death of the host corpus.

The 'catalyst' subjects had no further success, but at least connections were forged.

It was the fifth set of tests where we modified our targets. Rather than setting our sights on full-fledged Heroic Spirits, we aimed lower. Our intent was to ensnare phantoms, those that would not qualify for the Throne outright but still left a mark on history. Failing that, we wanted weaker spirits so as not to overwhelm the bodies.

The process was no kinder to them than before. However, there was one point of variance.

We had intended on perhaps summoning William Shakespeare, a lower-ranking Caster-class Servant. The work of his we chose, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', yielded a more positive result. 'Caster Seven' as it was dubbed managed to survive the initial summoning.

For a day, there were no initial signs of what was to come. To all appearances, it was as though there was a success. The body was still as blank a palette as ever, with hair like snow and eyes a placid blue.

It was midnight the following night. Between the days, right as the hour changed-

A fountain of black tore from its body. Right over its chest, where the spiritual core would have been. It was un-light, darker than dark, blacker than black. To call it tar would attribute texture, to call it night would attribute stars. It was void. It was empty. The mana filled all who observed with dread.

With that fountain came a solid sphere of silver, carried away on the wings of the curse. We consulted our expert on such - it was the curse of a witch, ensuring that the Spirit in question could not remain in this world.

That was the first sign that our attempt to ensnare Shakespeare had yielded strange fruit.

The second was the pillar of golden light that slammed into the corpse not seconds afterwards.

Accounts varied. Some saw a woman. Some saw a statue of golden ice. Others, a pillar of gilded flowers. Flame. Gems.

Where the commonality lay was that it funneled into the hollow left in the corpse. A tireless effort to revitalize the vessel, for reasons we could not grasp at that moment. Once the exit wound healed, the figure fell through the floor, the ground, perhaps even the very world to regions unknown.

It would be months before we understood the nature of the being that prevented Caster Seven's demise.

At that point, one thing was clear: the creature that was left after the episode was not suitable for deployment. We would study it, decipher its secrets, and if necessary dispose of it.

It was when the name 'Morgan Le Fay' echoed in Chaldea that I decided that prudence dictated we dispose of the subject.

There were no shortage of methods. Experimental means to enhance the strength of designer babies, ways to skew the results to desired ends. We tried. We tried, and tried, and tried - but ultimately failed.

Whatever damage we managed to inflict would be too slow. We could not kill him outright, for fear of reprisal.

A direct approach was attempted early on. The being which called itself 'Morgan' intervened. The results were comparable to those resulting from attempting to experiment upon the animal which wandered into our base. For further information, see the incident record 23-C, dated two-twenty-four-twenty-fifteen.

As time went on, we performed further experiments to try and have a counter prepared. A third Servant was summoned, this time as a successful long-term investment. For a fleeting moment, it was our hope that Galahad, manifested from the core of the FATE system, would strike Caster Seven down.

For whatever reason, Galahad stood down and relinquished control to Shielder. Before doing so, he decried Chaldea as a whole, swore to neither abandon her nor aid us, and turned dormant.

At this point, I will state 'why' we wished for its destruction. Consider: the base was only human in the loosest interpretation. It was a blank slate, which would either act as anchor or be overwritten by a Heroic Spirit. Said spirit was removed, and foreign magical energy revived and altered it.

After testing, we determined that there was extensive hybridization between the selected 'human' genes and definitively 'non-human' ones. As a native of those islands and member of the Clocktower in good standing, the term 'fairy' was enough to inspire dread. The fair folk were patrons of Camelot, true, but they were also responsible for the existence of entities such as the Master of Babel and the continued existence of the mad monk Prelati.

There was no way to control it. The fact that the patron of this being claimed to be from a pruned timeline only exacerbated the situation. If it was true, then we had a newborn fae directed by a foreign power. If it was a lie, then we had an incursion that could, at best, yield a mercurial elemental.

And so the cycle went on. It would lurk, and we would attempt to dispose of it. Lev Lainur seemed to take the attempts to 'enhance' it as genuine, and would offer ideas of his own. He must have thought me the fool to think I took them as such.

I simply wanted it dead as badly as he.

The longer it survived, the greater my dread built. It was an unaccounted variable. Then it became a threat.

The scale of magecraft it managed to field, even with a sieve in place of a spiritual core, spoke volumes of the power it could wield. When it crafted a blade with a curse that could level kingdoms, it spoke of growth.

Somehow, the rumor mill indicated that I intended to 'enhance' the girl I had yielded to Roman Archaman in a similar manner. Somehow, it reached Caster Seven.

The violence was as unexpected as sudden. Why would it care for her? How did the rumor begin? None of that mattered. All that mattered was containing the curse and preventing it from causing the ruin of all I had built.

The fourth Servant was summoned. I entrusted the care of the boy to Leonardo Da Vinci under Roman's recommendation. The interplay was… curious. So I dug deeper.

And found that I had wrought my own ruin.

Each near-death experience, each torment, each encounter that resulted in 'Morgan' tearing his soul back into his body - closer and closer, nearer and nearer. He was not 'aware', but he was 'awake'.

I had forgotten. I forgot that Caster Seven was not only a fairy. He was a human, and so had an Origin.

It barely required testing. His avoidance of humanity as a whole in favor of Akuta's wary kindness. The responsiveness he had to Beryl's overtures.

Fear to fear. Grudging affection to grudging affection. Teacher to pupil. Avoidance to avoidance. Desire to desire.

Reciprocation. A cycle of action and reaction. He could not tell 'intent', merely 'action' - and so Beryl had him eating out of the palm of his hand.

A growing fairy. A human broken by trauma that mirrored and clung to the slightest scraps of kindness.

I settled on a course of action. I turned to Beryl, and gave him my permission. I assumed he would simply kill and be done with it.

That… did not work. I will not recount all that transpired. Suffice to say, my standing with at least two members of Team A dropped, and I was forced to keep Beryl isolated in comparison.

The wound I bear continues to take its toll on me. It appears the measures taken to contain the curse function for now. Peperoncino continues to acclimate Caster Seven, and it is my dearest hope that he maintains some semblance of functionality.

We cannot kill it, but we may yet use it to dash itself on the coming crisis. If for no other reason than loyalty to Peperoncino and Zemlupus, after a fashion.

…I'm not sure what to do. I had a plan. Everything was set. Everything was certain. But… now I am unsure.

If not for this variable, I could face death without fear. If not for this unknown, I could rest.

What lies ahead for Chaldea? What will Caster Seven become? Will it save mankind? Aid it? Hinder it?

Could it become a threat equal to that which lies ahead? Or worse?

There is so much left that I do not know.

If only… if only we had brought forth Shakespeare. If only it wasn't the King of Faerie.

…I am so very tired. Here is where it ends.

Olga Marie will not find this. She mustn't. Kirschtaria, I ask of you. If all else fails, if it becomes what I fear… stand in my stead. Do what must be done.

I am, as always: Lord Marisbilly Animusphere. May the stars guide you.

…the recording ended.

Looking upwards, Kirschtaria locked the terminal and turned to the room's other two occupants. He knew his face was drawn and pale.

Roman's fingers dug into his thighs, muscle twitching in his jaw. Something blazed in his eyes.

Da Vinci's smile didn't so much as slip, though her eyes glinted slightly. "Hm. That explains no small number of things."

"My, my, doesn't it though?"

A chill raced down Kirschtaria's spine.

The three looked up.

Green feline eyes fixed on them all. The vision in red, the queen in white.

Morgan gave them a peaceful smile. "And of course, it should tell you two things above all, informative as that imbecile's diatribe was."

Kirschtaria couldn't breathe. Likewise, neither Roman nor Da Vinci made to move.

Slowly, she stepped forward. "First, that Matthew will do unto others as is done to him. If he becomes twisted, becomes a Threat to Man - that is a danger that has been in the making and is the responsibility of Chaldea at large."

But. That wasn't right. No one knew, and no one could know- and who was to say that Matthew of all people could be a Threat to Humanity? To qualify for that Class-

Morgan's gaze was impassive. Inhuman. Her thoughts were utterly inscrutable to Kirschtaria.

"The second," she continued, breaking through Kirschtaria's thoughts. "The second is that I will stop at nothing to keep him alive. To give him some small chance at happiness, to grow into his own."

Emeralds burned in the lowering light. The terminal behind Kirschtaria gave a sharp buzz.

"Morgan," Roman grit out. "Morgan, stop."

The Fairy Queen stilled.

Light returned. Electricity hummed.

She looked each of them in the face. Satisfied with whatever it was she found, she turned on her heel.

In the span of a breath, she was at the door of Marisbilly's old office. If Kirschtaria had blinked, he would have missed the movement.

"I swear this to you, humans. Humans of past, present, and future."

Those eyes turned upon them once more.

"I lost my Oberon twice over. Once to my home, and once to the witch Morgause. I will not lose Matthew. I will not bury a child thrice."

And she was gone.

For a moment, there was silence.

There was a heartbeat. Two. Three.

"...shit."

Kirschtaria didn't know who said it. All he knew was it was apt.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Spoiler: A/N

DREI. ENDE. Going on vacation, will probably start the New Year event after that. Going to build up steam and try to start Zero in January. Work permitting.

_____________________________________________________

It is not that I have become like him.

I saw something fascinating.

Fairies are hollow. They lack true intellect and do not evolve or adapt. They simply are. Trying to nourish from them is like trying to drink the wind.

Humans are beautiful, but filling. They fill me. I mimic them. I copy whatever I cling to.

Rage for rage. Competition for competition. Envy for envy.

It is not that he has become like me.

I saw beauty in Mash. Innocence and nobility, a desire to protect and save.

I saw beauty in Ritsuka. Kindness and openness, gentle arms to hold and hands to lead.

Neither are perfect, but beauty is not perfection. But neither are so flawed as to be 'evil'.

What did I see in that boy?

What did he see in me?

We push and pull in a dance. He teeters toward the edge, and I stand alongside others to tug him back. I careen in the abyss, only to search out the light I've found.

A delicate balance.

It is not that I have become like him. It is not that he has become like me.

It is that we always, always were like each other.

Few friendships have the strength of kindred spirits. Both in what we are.

And what we can become.

Oh Master, my Master - what End will you show?​

 

[Servant of Evil]

....I think I finally have Matthew's Fae Name. Keeping in mind, it starts with "A" and is five letters long, and now that we know he's effectively an "Oberon", I think I have the answer:

Spoiler: Matthew's Fae Name Guess

I think it's Aubry, heritor of Morgan. Leanan Sidhe.

Oberon derives from Albreich, which in Old French evolved into Alberon, Auberon, and then to Aubrey/Aubry, with Aubry being the French Derivation and Aubrey being the (primarily) English counterpart.

Could be wrong, but this is just my guess. Either way, Zero Arc is when we should be expecting the reveal as Blink mentioned a while back, and that's quickly approaching.

Either way, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, Blink, and to you as well, all who read this.

 

[Blinktwice13]

Not quite!

But there's a downtime-event next chapter (the fireworks is going to be way more lowkey than Xmas) and then we're going to dive into Zero.

I'll probably put that reveal close to the climax of that arc.

 

[jwolfe_beta]

The collection of gems and hilt stood in stark contrast to that. Thin slivers of diamond, topaz, ruby, sapphire- that and more, all laid down neatly. They were angled above a leather-wrapped cylinder of a silvery metal that bore resemblance to Matthew's own armor.
---
He jerked. "It's. It's fine. I'll need to talk to my mother about it, but it could be useful if I can get a handle on it." He gave a shaky smile before looking away. "Or use it at all," he muttered, just on the edge of Mash's hearing.

Click to shrink...

Matthew, did you just give Ritsuka a magical creation based on/similar to the Jeweled Sword Zelretch?!?

Artoria hummed. "That has promise. Myself, you, Galahad by way of Mash, a Fae of Avalon… it would be an interesting adventure, certainly." She nodded. "Excellent idea, Sir Gawain. I shall pose the question to Ritsuka tomorrow."

"Shall we bring his grace, then?"

Artoria blinked at Gawain's innocently eager look. "Pardon?"

"Queen Emiya, of course! From hearsay I've heard he is quite accomplished with a bow, and respite from his role in the kitchen should be appreciated!"

Artoria cleared her throat. "I… shall ask." Her lungs, ether as they were, fluttered in her chest with restraint.

Click to shrink...

Huh, so this is what a developing train wreck looks like.

A direct approach was attempted early on. The being which called itself 'Morgan' intervened. The results were comparable to those resulting from attempting to experiment upon the animal which wandered into our base. For further information, see the incident record 23-C, dated two-twenty-four-twenty-fifteen.

Click to shrink...

Otherwise known as 'clean up on aisles four through seven'.

"I lost my Oberon twice over. Once to my home, and once to the witch Morgause. I will not lose Matthew. I will not bury a child thrice."

Click to shrink...

Hehehehe...oh gods in all the heavens.

 

[Garreon]

Wow, so you have a giant asset. Said asset repays what you do in kind, be kind to the asset, be understanding, etc etc etc and he will repay in kind.....and Prodigy Mac Gigabrain over there decided to be the biggest turd in existence to him.
And he thought they would understand why he did what he did?

 

[Blinktwice13]

Wow, so you have a giant asset. Said asset repays what you do in kind, be kind to the asset, be understanding, etc etc etc and he will repay in kind.....and Prodigy Mac Gigabrain over there decided to be the biggest turd in existence to him.
And he thought they would understand why he did what he did?

Click to shrink...

In all fairness, that's not exactly what happened.

Matthew started out as a blank slate, and there were a series of attempts to dispose of damaged material that went wrong.

It wasn't until his interactions with Hinako and Da Vinci that he started showing positive reactions to external stimuli - as noted, Marisbilly had no idea why he would care about Mash at all. There was no visible interaction until the fic, and it broke with recorded behavior.

Morgan is/was an unknown, a possible threat - for all intents and purposes, she was a foreign deity making a toehold in PHH. Clock Tower Magi aren't naturally trusting of such things, and if we remove ourselves from the POV that we've had since chapter one and put us towards a NPC in mainline FGO, it becomes much more understandable.

So it's more like this: there is a quantifiable threat. It learns, grows. It evolves and adapts. Every attempt to kill it fails, either due to regeneration or it being hijacked by an external power to thwart you. It scales and scales until appeasement and prayer for delivery are your only option.

I won't say what he did was right, but Matthew's entire existence is a massive monkey wrench in Chaldea's plans. Without Ritsuka, he would have gone Full Feral Faerie (see Okeanos) far earlier.

Even now, Grand Servants are starting to go 'mm, don't like that'.

Setting all that aside, Matthew's Origin didn't awake until multiple years after the Summon/Excise event. So you have a being raised by an Actual Nasu Goddess (even if she is nice). And once it awoke, when the damage was already done - who was around? Kirschtaria would be the best-case scenario.

Imagine him imprinting on Animusphere, or Olga, or Hinako, or the nightmare scenario - Beryl. The last one almost happened anyway.

Any Ritsuka short of Gudako herself is the only safe option here.

 

[Chrono1990]

The stuffed animal inside stared blankly up at her. A handmade plushie in Fou's image, the white fur he wore before he'd synchronized with her brother of all people.

Click to shrink...

Is that the Learn with F/GO fou?

"Hm. 'Nightwood'?" The book's cover was soft against her palm. The lettering seemed oddly familiar…

"Huh? What language is that?" Musashi peered over her shoulder, bare skin brushing against her own. "It's not English, and definitely not Japanese. The characters are pretty odd, too."

The pieces clicked together. "Ah. It's Greek. Likely from my own time." Medusa gave a small smile. "He translated it."

"Okay, wait. That's not something he can explain with 'I cheated using Item Creation in my temple', you know!" Musashi scowled cutely.

Click to shrink...

I have not heard of Nightwood. what is it about?

"He is noble in his way, but as he is in his prime… handling him is difficult, to put plainly." Artoria shook her head. "I wish our Masters the joy of him, and hope we are never called upon at the same time."

Click to shrink...

yeah, Gil gets better personality when he's older as Caster

"Queen Emiya, of course! From hearsay I've heard he is quite accomplished with a bow, and respite from his role in the kitchen should be appreciated!"

Artoria cleared her throat. "I… shall ask." Her lungs, ether as they were, fluttered in her chest with restraint.

Gawain gave a firm nod. "Very well!" He gave a broad grin as he stood. "Now, as it stands - a fair maid from engineering seemed somewhat receptive to my wooing, so I would go and speak with her anon. I'll leave the planning to you, my king! Good night!" He strode confidently from the room, a certain spring in his step.

Artoria waited until her instincts told her Gawain was outside of the range of hearing. Then she waited a few moments more.

And she collapsed into silent giggles, wheezing into her hands after she set both blade and whetstone on the table.

Click to shrink...

Pfffft!

Roman stared at the offending items on his desk.

"Romani," Leonardo cooed. "Aren't they adorable?"

A pair of matching mugs. 'World's Best Teacher' and 'World's Okayest Dad'. He felt his stomach roil.

Click to shrink...

snickers hard

The shape was that of a sword. The width of the shimmering blade was two fingers, and the length was five-six-seven hands. The guard was twisted gold, as though something molten and then frozen in time. The spiral seemed itself in motion, like liquid sunlight. The hilt itself spun into a twirling cone, only to flare out at a spherical pommel.

Click to shrink...

I was thinking initially of one of Proto Gil's swords till the Spiral part.

 

[Chrono1990]

Hinako held a perfectly preserved bloom in her hands, a poppy sealed in glass. Affixed to a thin yet strong chain of silver, it was clearly meant to hang on a wall as decoration. She wasn't sure of the significance, but Hinako quickly covered it with the remaining paper. The Master gave Mash a dark look. "What."

Click to shrink...

Also wondering about the flower now.

We had intended on perhaps summoning William Shakespeare, a lower-ranking Caster-class Servant. The work of his we chose, 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', yielded a more positive result. 'Caster Seven' as it was dubbed managed to survive the initial summoning.

Click to shrink...

Shakespeare would have been interesting, but the chances of summoning oberon were high as well.
wonder if they still have that catalyst

There was no way to control it. The fact that the patron of this being claimed to be from a pruned timeline only exacerbated the situation. If it was true, then we had a newborn fae directed by a foreign power. If it was a lie, then we had an incursion that could, at best, yield a mercurial elemental.

And so the cycle went on. It would lurk, and we would attempt to dispose of it. Lev Lainur seemed to take the attempts to 'enhance' it as genuine, and would offer ideas of his own. He must have thought me the fool to think I took them as such.

I simply wanted it dead as badly as he.

The longer it survived, the greater my dread built. It was an unaccounted variable. Then it became a threat.

Click to shrink...

I can at least appreciate the concept of fear to this type of threat, though Lev is clearly wanting it for the opposite motive.

Somehow, the rumor mill indicated that I intended to 'enhance' the girl I had yielded to Roman Archaman in a similar manner. Somehow, it reached Caster Seven.

Click to shrink...

Oh? interesting~ now was that Lev, Beryl, or an unknown third party that started it? or just Bartolomoi?

But. That wasn't right. No one knew, and no one could know- and who was to say that Matthew of all people could be a Threat to Humanity? To qualify for that Class-

Click to shrink...

Oh, i think he does, he has love enough for those humans around him - and his hate isn't directed at humanity as a whole yet, just mages.

Spoiler: A/N DREI. ENDE. Going on vacation, will probably start the New Year event after that. Going to build up steam and try to start Zero in January. Work permitting.

Click to shrink...

good luck on the vacation! hope things go well! 🖐

 

[Blinktwice13]

Is that the Learn with F/GO fou?



I have not heard of Nightwood. what is it about?

Click to shrink...

It could be.

Nightwood is a book I read for college by Djuna Barnes. It's… very interesting.

Also wondering about the flower now.

good luck on the vacation! hope things go well! 🖐

Click to shrink...

Poppies are associated with Yu Mei-Ren. It's related to her identity so while she appreciates it, she's also a little spooked.

Thanks! Disney trip ahoy~

Matthew, did you just give Ritsuka a magical creation based on/similar to the Jeweled Sword Zelretch?!?

Hehehehe...oh gods in all the heavens.

Click to shrink...

It's a 'baby's first code construction' kit! As recommended by the Angel of secrets, knowledge, and tutelage. Who taught humans about Magic.

Combine that with all the other breadcrumbs (Servants popping up cross-timeline, unusual memory retention, Ritsuka's weird terrifying circuit situation that made Da Vinci panic, Zelretch's interest…) and it should be pretty clear what exactly I'm gunning for.

Also this. This is the appropriate response. In general.

 

[David151]

Awesome update and can't wait to see what happens next after you get back from vacation which by the time you do we should finally!! know more about Daybit which will be interesting.

 

[Ardenzian]

"Mash?"

She looked up.

Ritsuka offered his hand, smiling softly. "Shall I walk you to your room?"

She smiled back. "Yes, thank you!"

Click to shrink...

And if they fall asleep together, I will have no problems with it

Awesome update and can't wait to see what happens next after you get back from vacation which by the time you do we should finally!! know more about Daybit which will be interesting.

Click to shrink...

And probably seeing Arcueid Vs. ORT

 

[jwolfe_beta]

It's a 'baby's first code construction' kit! As recommended by the Angel of secrets, knowledge, and tutelage. Who taught humans about Magic.

Combine that with all the other breadcrumbs (Servants popping up cross-timeline, unusual memory retention, Ritsuka's weird terrifying circuit situation that made Da Vinci panic, Zelretch's interest…) and it should be pretty clear what exactly I'm gunning for.

Click to shrink...

Sounds like Zelretch won't be lacking for an apprentice even with Rin's services being retained by Tiamat.