Garreon
Paldean Top Champion
- Location
- Mesagoza, Paldea
Oh shit, that would make waaaaay too much sense
I'm Not a Regular Mom (FGO OC)
- Thread starter Blinktwice13
- Start date
- Pronouns
- Kay
You know I was reading percy jackson and a thought occured to me, shotaro has hephateus right? Which means shotaro has the blueprints to everything that god created. Including a certain Anti-THOT net he used on his cheating wife and brother. Wouldn't that work on rin-ishtar? They are both goddesses of love that are associated with venus and have the habit shattering the hearts of people that cross them (the ishtar part). Could be funny to see him put Rin on "timeout" for some reason or other, he can even use it Medb to protect matthew and ritsuka...now that I think even more about it that thing would be VERY useful in fate grand order.
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
If I put Aoko or Zelretch themselves on the field, it wouldn't be until much later. Even on their own they'd derail the plot in ways I haven't accounted for. Magic is hax.
From a purely world building perspective, Touko got in because as the Magus who adopted Sakura she has a direct connection to the Tohsaka family I'm building. Aoko has never met Sakura or Rin's family, so has less of a reason to be dragged in.
From a purely world building perspective, Touko got in because as the Magus who adopted Sakura she has a direct connection to the Tohsaka family I'm building. Aoko has never met Sakura or Rin's family, so has less of a reason to be dragged in.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Of course, you will be having Touko tag along for Garden of Order. The look on Shiki's face should be good, as will Touko's reaction to Void Shiki.
And if Wodime is indeed the next one revived, the next event must be Eli-chan's Halloween debut! He actually likes her singing!
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
While it's no doubt going to be completely butterflied away by the time they get to the sixth Singularity, I can't help but have some morbid curiosity as to how the cast of this fic will react to meeting the Goddess Rhongomyniad and hearing her 'plan' for humanity.
On another matter, how the heck is Chaldea getting resources/food etc through the Rayshift and the 'completed' Singularities? Because from what I understand, the masters are sort of teleported via the coffins and the Servants follow along because they can astralize.
On another matter, how the heck is Chaldea getting resources/food etc through the Rayshift and the 'completed' Singularities? Because from what I understand, the masters are sort of teleported via the coffins and the Servants follow along because they can astralize.
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Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
For the former, it's very much a 'Nobody Liked That' situation.
For the latter, Da Vinci did it. I could try and bull some scientific details about Rayshifting or something, but honestly it's a narrative contrivance so logistics and things like impending starvation or lack of necessities don't tie up the plot so I can't focus on neat fight scenes and character interactions. So a Wizard Did It, and the wizard in question is Da Vinci.
- Location
- Not here
Ah yes, the ever effective MST3k mantra
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
And/or 'This needs to end, in Fire'.
So sort of a mirror as to how in-game you can go back to previous Singularities to grind for anything and everything. Considering that they can manifest a Master's soul/essence to the degree that it perfectly matches their original physical condition in a different time period, it's probably something like an over-powered magical version of the digitization laser in Tron*.
And since food-stuffs and construction/repair materials etc aren't as finicky as living humans, they can afford to be a little more lassiaz-faire about the condition they get the stuff in. Heck based on a note in the wiki, they don't even technically need the coffins for rayshift.
*Chaldea internal memo: (passed around via word of mouth instead of the electronic system to limit Da Vinci finding out about it) This is a reminder to cut/limit Da Vinci's access to Sci-fi media as much as possible. She's getting ideas again.
Garreon
Paldean Top Champion
- Location
- Mesagoza, Paldea
Yeah, implying that she won't find out about it if you keep it to word of mouth, ha! She is a genious, there is no way to keep secrets with her around, specially gossip
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
Well it's possible (in theory). Even legendary geniuses aren't infallible.
You 'just' need to distract her with something that will occupy her attention. In this case Matthew filled said role fairly well.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
You will, of course, bring Nobu along to Okeanos. She'll be overjoyed to meet Drake: A powerful woman recorded as male by history, loves guns and can summon guns, killed Poseidon and took his Grail...
There, I corrected the blatant typo. No need to thank me.
- Location
- Brazil
- Pronouns
- Luna
I remember reading a forum where the author described that they collected everything in micro singularities, there was even a scene in which the master in question (an SI) gave the idea of piracy at the beginning of this collection, before going to the Roman singularity, in the end the accounts went wrong and the guy somehow became a Galahad rival, and kind of funny the debates between them about the nobility of the knights vs feudalism and their desire to subjugate the peasants.
Anyway, I believe it is the same as the Star Trek teleportation.
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
Which here is probably taken care of by the 'support cast' after the Master(s) and Servants stabilize the Singularity/pseudo-Singularity etc unstead of the game where you do all the grinding. They're just going to be a little limited early on since not everything can be found in the sites they can Rayshift from.
In Which Connections are (Re)Forged
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Tohsaka Shotaro was not Emiya Shirou. Not in the ways that mattered most. He didn't seek an ideal, didn't force himself into the business of others. It would be difficult to even call the man a hero. He had no training, and a few moments of speech were all one needed to discern his dependence on the gods within him for the likes of combat. He was shy, gentle, yet unfailingly kind. The scars the desperate Einzbern of this world left on him were all too visible.
To be honest, he reminded Emiya of the Sakura from his worlds. It was easy to see where Ritsuka got his patience and gentle nature from. No, Tohsaka Shotaro and Emiya Shirou were very different people.
It was for that reason he found himself becoming friends with the other man.
"Alright, I think the eggs are done." Shotaro stepped back after putting the last batch into the pan for serving. "What's left?" His eyes were clear, which was a recent change from what Ritsuka had said.
"Bacon's done," Ritsuka chimed in.
Emiya chuckled. "I think it's ready to hand out, then. The fruit's already been set out, and there's plenty of toast and preserves. Simple enough for breakfast, but filling."
"Mm. I hope everyone enjoys it." Shotaro stuffed his hands into his sleeves, something Emiya was coming to pick up on as a nervous tic.
"It'll be okay, Dad." Ritsuka smiled gently, leaning his shoulder against his father's for a moment.
"Unless you got any eggshell into the mix, I doubt you made any mistakes," Emiya said dismissively.
"No, I didn't." Shotaro smiled a little. "Thank you for letting me help. I suppose it's your time with Ritsuka, but…"
"If I minded, I wouldn't have let you stay." Emiya smirked. "You're far from the most annoying person I've shared a kitchen with."
Ritsuka covered his laugh with a cough as Shotaro gave a sheepish smile. "If you say so."
"I do. Feel free to help any time." Emiya grabbed two of the pans and began heading to the serving area. "Can you-?"
"Right." Shotaro grabbed the others and followed him, setting all of them in a row. "Think this will be enough for everyone?"
"Assuming nobody tries to overindulge." Emiya paused. "I set an extra pan of each aside for Matthew and Artoria."
"Hah! Matthew sure can put it away. I wonder where it all goes…" Ritsuka mused. "Mash doesn't eat nearly as much."
"Mash has a human metabolism, mostly." Emiya inclined his head. "Matthew is a hybrid."
"Among other things…" Ritsuka murmured, a dark look crossing his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Shotaro's gaze zeroed in on Ritsuka.
"Just that he went through a lot." Ritsuka gave a huff. "So what're you guys planning to do for the rest of the day?"
"I figured I'd look at the machinery around here, see what I could get with structural analysis." Emiya shrugged. "Come back for lunch and dinner."
"I was going to find a workshop and just… see what happened." Shotaro leaned on his good leg, the brace visible on the other. Emiya couldn't read modern greek, let alone ancient, but he assumed that the work of the Olympian Forge-God was what helped the man be as mobile as he was.
Ritsuka perked up. "So what're you thinking of making?" He turned to Emiya. "Dad would make all kinds of ornaments at home. He'd sculpt glass, make window hangings out of cut rocks. Sometimes he'd even make jewelry for Mom."
Emiya hummed. "Interesting."
"It's not as impressive as making weapons, I'll admit," Shotaro demurred. "But it's something I take pride in. I wonder how many of my gifts turned out to be mystic codes in the making…?"
"Knowing Mom? All of them. She'd look for any excuse to wear them." Ritsuka's smile was melancholy. "How… how is she?"
Shotaro crossed his arms. "Well. Surprisingly well. She took to her new role better than anyone thought. Even if it meant giving up her work as the Wizard Marshal's apprentice, she decided it was what she wanted." He paused. "She said that she wanted it to go to you. Once this is all done, Asako will inherit the family Crest and gem research, while you would-"
"I don't have the talent to make use of it." Ritsuka shook his head. "And I'm just a spellcaster, anyways."
Shotaro narrowed his eyes. "Your mother and Asako both agreed to it." He gave a deep sigh. "Even if it was only for a few days, exposing you to the Clock Tower was a mistake."
"So Mom told you?"
Emiya looked back and forth between father and son.
"The Einzbern curse stole time from us. Me, you, your sister. I… I can't hate them for it, because I understand a little bit of them. But it's also something that-" Shotaro placed his hand over his forehead. "I wouldn't engage with them willingly, in violence or otherwise. That said, I really don't mind missing out on magus culture at large."
"She took you to London?" Emiya's brow furrowed.
"Ritsuka hadn't learned to hide his magecraft properly yet, and my condition kept acting up." Shotaro looked downward. "It was the beginning of- it got worse over time. The slightest allusion would trigger it, rather than a direct mention. At the end, it was my own intense emotions that drove it back, only a little before Ritsuka left."
Ritsuka ducked his head. "I'm sorry."
"Ritsuka, no. You're not at fault." Shotaro wore a pained expression. "You- all the memories that I can put together- you're good. You're the best son I could have asked for. I just wish that I could have been a better father."
"If nothing else, your chance to do so is here," Emiya interrupted. He crossed his arms. "Second chances like this are rarer than you'd think."
"...yeah." Ritsuka smiled. "I'm glad you're here."
Shotaro picked Ritsuka up in a bear hug. "Me too."
"Dad! C'mon!" Ritsuka laughed helplessly as Shotaro dropped him back on his feet.
Despite himself and his pride at being a bit of a bastard, Emiya smiled.
"-so teach me already!"
The three men turned to see an utterly haggard Lord El-Melloi II with circles under his eyes as Asako followed at his heels.
"Please. Please, take your spawn and hand her off to someone else," the man begged Shotaro.
Shotaro hummed. "Actually, Ritsuka could use training in the basics too…" he mused, resting his chin on his fist.
"Eh-heh… about that…" Ritsuka rubbed the back of his head.
"Hm?" Emiya raised an eyebrow.
"So, Matthew, Mash, and I seem to have some kind of… thing?"
"A thing?" Shotaro blinked slowly. "But they're siblings."
Ritsuka went scarlet. "Not like that! Like a power transference!" He crossed his arms. "Mash's power keeps me from harm, and I think… Matthew's knowledge filters through to me. About magecraft, at least. Not faerie-style, but human-style - the stuff he learned from Da Vinci."
"Interesting. It sounds like a quirk of the FATE system," El-Melloi II mused. He sidestepped Asako as she reached to grab his overcoat. "We may want to check Zemlupus to see if Anastasia has had any effect on him."
"Right," Ritsuka agreed. "...I get the feeling that there's a lot of interference going on."
"What was your first clue?" Emiya quipped, jabbing his thumb at Shotaro. The other man flushed lightly, ducking his head in embarrassment.
"So you're getting a secondhand education from Da Vinci hi- her- themself?" Asako's eyes widened. "Lucky!" She whirled on El-Melloi II. "Now you have to teach me! Your record at the Clock Tower for turning out magi of standing is unparalleled!"
"You have an entire Grand Magus to draw on," El-Melloi II hissed. "Can't you bother her!?"
"She's Aunt Sakura's teacher," Asako explained, as though to a very young child. "Right now she's playing bodyguard because Aunt Sakura and Mom are helping Morgan, but that doesn't mean she'll teach me."
El-Melloi II looked to Ritsuka. On any other man, it would have looked like a pleading gaze. From what Emiya saw, it just looked like exhaustion.
"What is it you'd be doing?" Ritsuka asked.
"I found the new Super Robot Wars in one of the lounges," El-Melloi II began.
Ritsuka blinked. "I see."
For a moment, no one spoke. The silence was heavy.
Ritsuka turned to Asako with closed eyes and a pleasant smile. "Asako?"
"Yes, Ritsuka?" Asako folded her hands behind her back, looking for all the world like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.
"Enjoy your free lessons."
As Asako squealed, El-Melloi II weakly protested, and Shotaro let out a surprised guffaw… Emiya realized what he'd overlooked.
It was true that Ritsuka was Shotaro's child in many ways, similarities that made their company enjoyable to the Counter Guardian.
However.
Ritsuka was, in fact, Rin's child as well.
Emiya smirked.
____________________________________________________________________________
I rolled over, slowly waking up. Something soft brushed my arm. "Hmr?" I sat up, rubbing my eyes as the sheets fell off of my torso.
"Fou." The voice was muffled, but still.
Fou sat next to me in the otherwise empty bed, an envelope in his mouth.
...why isn't Cu here?
Fou pushed the envelope against my hand, and I took it. After opening, I unfolded the letter.
"Damned Pixie, I'm writing this because my idiot pupil asked. I spent eight hours outside Chaldea, in the snow, waiting for someone to let me in. Then, after providing Setanta an anchor during your fight, you still neglected to let me in. Ultimately, your miniature Beast opened the door. Setanta is training, as he didn't wake even with me standing over him with a drawn weapon. I'll return him to you in one piece, so don't get dramatic about it. That piece will be bruised. Thoroughly. In the near future, I'll be teaching you applications of your runes. Prepare for it. Lord of Dun Scaith - Scathach."
With a scowl, I tossed it onto my nightstand. "Wonder why she gets to call him Setanta," I grumbled, standing up. I hauled clean clothes out of my dresser and flung them at the bed, narrowly missing Fou. Then I made a beeline to the attached bathroom. "Just so you're warned, I'm taking a shower. Avert your fuzzy little eyes."
"Fou!"
In short order, I cleaned myself and dressed, ready to face the day. Fou leapt onto my shoulder as I straightened my sweater, and I hit the light as I left my bedroom.
"Good morning." Mash smiled as the door shut behind me, brandishing a plate of food.
"...should I be avoiding the cafeteria?" I asked after a moment, taking the plate.
"Possibly." Her visible eye glanced away. "Senpai is having a… discussion… with some of the other magi."
"About me." I sighed. "Curse necessity."
Mash's eye narrowed. "Matthew."
"I'm not talking about killing them, just scaring them." I rolled my eyes. "I don't think I've ever been that bad."
"You used to hiss like a cat and use what shape changing magecraft you had to claw at people whenever they got too close."
"Hey, it worked. People left well enough alone," I pointed out. "And you'll note I never connected a hit. Not once."
"No, you just alienated the entire staff, even those who weren't involved with us." Mash crossed her arms and frowned.
"It's not like they'd have been any help regardless," I muttered. "Thanks for the food. I'm just gonna." I waved a hand. "Probably go work on something."
"I'll go with you. It's not like I have anything else to occupy me at the moment."
"Fou!" the little hellion chirped happily.
"Not going to- ah. Ritsuka's got his hands full with the locals, huh." I blew air from my lips as we started walking. "Do you spend time with any of the others?"
"Doctor Roman is busy, and so is Da Vinci. I…" Mash looked down. "In Orleans, I spent some time with Lancelot, but…"
I grimaced. "Yeah."
"Ophelia's still sleeping, and the Director… I never saw her much, but I hoped…"
"Right." I huffed. "What about Anastasia? Or Jeanne? I bet Bradamante would hang out with you if you asked. And, well, Artoria's taken an interest in your training."
Mash giggled a little. "She has. Her instructions were a little haphazard yesterday, but I feel like I've got a better grasp on using my shield to fight." She looked away. "Galahad still hasn't reached out to me. Not like you and Morgan."
"I'm ninety percent sure Morgan is more than your average Servant, and is more anchored to me than possessing me. Galahad is in your head. Morgan is out there somewhere, and tethered to my existence. Slight difference." I grabbed the fork on the plate and speared some eggs as we kept walking, stuffing them into my mouth.
"And if he's in there, he should speak to me. If he's really here to help-"
"Galahad was mad as hell when he came to. I mean, Chaldea doesn't have the most wholesome past, you know." I stabbed some more egg. "If I had to take a gamble, it would be that he stayed to keep you breathing because you were an innocent and your death by his inaction wasn't something he could handle. He'll pitch in as you prove yourself, but… most of your skill comes from him in the first place. Not to mention, the first Singularity almost turned into a Cosmic Horror story." I shuddered before eating some more.
"So you did some reading?" Mash teased.
"Yeah. Did you know Lovecraft was a super turbo racist?" I stared at her with wide eyes. "And then there's all sorts of stuff like diaspora, and slavery- humans from Europe have a lot to answer for!"
"They're all sort of dead, Matthew." Mash frowned a little.
"Okay, sure, but the systems they made are left behind," I argued.
"The world doesn't exist right now, Matthew. Assuming we both live through this, we can look into addressing the many wrongs humans visited upon each other through the ages." Mash sighed. "Doctor Roman said that people with power can and often will abuse it. And they will often abuse those different from them, and make use of them for their own goals."
I looked at her, confused.
"I asked why you were treated the way you were. In the beginning, you were quiet and kept to yourself." Mash crossed her arms. "You didn't… not until you attacked the former director." She paused. "Former, former director."
I shrugged, putting the fork down and popping a strip of bacon into my mouth. "After a point, I stopped caring and just went wild." I frowned. "So Marisbilly wasn't an anomaly. But… people still loved him."
Figures of power carry a charisma that lets them lead. Sometimes they rule by fear, other times they rule with the consent and support of like-minded people. Often, both are true.
Huh.
Not to mention, Lev Lainur had Animusphere's ear for a very long time. Knowing what we know now, it's likely he worked to suppress you in case we became a threat.
...you just figured this out!?
Well, no. But you already hated him by association and anything that might absolve Animusphere would push you over an edge I didn't like to think of. Especially since it doesn't absolve him - he made his choices.
...then what about Archaman?
Hm? Well, he's not blameless either. There wasn't much he could do for you, but he tried his best. That said, he has other sins to atone for, so I wasn't going to force you into thinking critically at that juncture. You weren't ready for it.
I stopped walking.
"Matthew?" Mash looked at me.
So, what. You used me to punish him?
No. I merely let you behave as you wished. If I had told you his feelings, would you have listened then? Without Peperoncino's influence? Ritsuka's? Little Gilgamesh's?
I sighed slowly.
Right. You're right. I wouldn't have listened.
I blinked rapidly as Fou's nose brushed my cheek.
"Are you… all right?" Mash frowned.
I picked up a strip of bacon and ripped it in half with my finger and thumb. Half went on the plate, and the other went to Fou, who grabbed it with his mouth and gnawed greedily.
"I'm getting there," I admitted. Which, true. I'd had help, but I was definitely better than I had been.
Mash hummed. "I don't think I've been here before…"
I looked up. We were outside a different lounge from my usual one. The walls were painted a soft peach color, and there was a series of chairs, couches, and coffee tables. On one wall was a huge television screen.
"Well, might as well check it out." I walked in, Mash right behind me. I zeroed in on a remote control and pamphlet on the table in front of the largest couch. After setting my plate down and a quick wave of my hand to engulf it in a small bounded field, I picked the booklet up.
Fou leapt off of my shoulder and shot me a foul look before curling into a ball in the dead center of one of the cushions.
Mash giggled. "Poor Fou."
"He'll be fine. I've still got bacon to share; I'm just not giving him all of it." I gave him a stern look.
He tucked his nose under his tail and narrowed his eyes before feigning sleep.
With a decisive snap, I closed the pamphlet. "So!"
Mash tilted her head.
I grinned. "Want to watch something?"
Fou slowly opened one eye.
Mash smiled. "I think I can make time."
____________________________________________________________________________
Roman slowly dragged his hand down his face. "I am going to launch Caspan Barthomeloi out of a cannon."
"We don't have one!" Da Vinci chirped.
"What would it take to convince you to build one? Funding? Another workshop?"
Da Vinci tapped her chin before smiling. "I'd make a cannon to launch him into the sun for one cheeto puff!"
"You don't even like cheetos," Roman said accusingly.
"I know! It's for fueling the cannon."
Kadoc held up a hand to forestall the conversation. "Before we get carried away discussing an extrajudicial execution, henceforth known as 'murder', can we discuss the situation at hand?"
Anastasia materialized. "I put something called 'IcyHot' in all of his underwear."
Ritsuka shot her a despairing look. The Masters had congregated to discuss the situation at hand with the administrators.
...so far, success was mixed.
"You did not," Ritsuka groaned.
"No, I didn't."
He sighed in relief.
"Nobunaga and her Nobus did. Viy helped by locating the right room and drawer."
Roman dropped his hand. "That. Sounds on brand."
Asako gave a wicked giggle. "Okay. So, I'm a little behind. Who is 'Kirschtaria Wodime', and why don't we want to wake him up?"
"Well, we do. He's tied with Daybit Sem Void as one of our most potent assets," Roman admitted. "It's just forcing Matthew into it is… a poor idea. Even with his improved attitude."
"Of course, both Barthomeloi and Matthew have greatly misunderstood Kirschtaria," Da Vinci noted. "Barthomeloi thinks he's a proper leader, and a stone cold aristocrat. That is… half-right. Matthew thinks he's Marisbilly Animusphere's heir, and as cold and cruel as the former Director. Again, half-right. He is a good leader, and would help with shifting a great deal of work away from Romani. Unlike Olga Marie, he was recognized as heir to the Animusphere style of Magecraft, and inherited the Director's ideals to save and improve the world."
"That's where the similarities end, though. Kirsch played up the front of the aristocrat for the Clock Tower's sake, but…" Kadoc trailed off.
"That's the Clock Tower," Asako replied dismissively. "What was he really like?"
"Well, he was confident, sure, but also kind. If…" Kadoc sighed. "He might have made a mistake."
Ritsuka frowned. "How so?"
"His response to Matthew on meeting him was to thank him for his sacrifice in saving the world," Da Vinci mused. "Not long after, Matthew attacked Marisbilly Animusphere out of perceived threat against his sister. Kirschtaria was kept away from him, despite a desire to speak and understand his actions. There's a fatal lack of understanding between them, and we have to face facts." She folded her arms. "Out of the Servants currently here, the only one with a less-than-favorable view of Matthew is Sasaki Kojirou. Even then, he's simply neutral instead of friendly."
"Nobunaga's still making up her mind," Kadoc added. "But yeah. Almost everyone else is on friendly terms - and only the Servants. Anyone in a tech position or a magical one is scared, and everyone else just sees their reactions to him."
"If we could be sure Matthew would cooperate, reviving Kirschtaria would solve more problems than it caused," Ritsuka summed up. "But between his own biases and Wodime's poor first impression?"
"I mean, it's not like he signed up for this, right? So the sacrifice Wodime thanked him for wasn't even his choice," Asako pointed out.
"Which is the crux of the situation. Matthew resents Chaldea, but understands its necessity. It's a delicate balance. If we got him to revive Wodime a little early, he'd grumble. But before Scandinavia or Hinako?" Roman shook his head.
"...yeah. Oh, this is gonna suck." Kadoc grimaced.
"Do we think Gilgamesh might try and, ah, preemptively…?" Ritsuka trailed off. "I don't know what brought on destroying Beryl Gut's coffin."
"Unlikely. Kirschtaria had little engagement with Matthew, where Beryl was… himself." Roman's brow twitched. "And it says quite a bit that we have to plan the logistics of reviving Masters around one person. If I didn't know Matthew's character, I could understand where Caspan is coming from. Intentionally or otherwise, he's made himself indispensable to the running of Chaldea. He's key to bringing the others back, and Da Vinci has already recorded no less than three attempts to probe the Bounded Field."
"So who's telling him? We should definitely tell him." Asako planted her palms to either side of her as she leaned forward. "The longer we don't, the worse it'll be."
"Yeah." Roman narrowed his eyes. "You seem to have a surprisingly good read on him."
"That's called common sense. The longer you withhold bad news from a person, especially one as volatile as you make Matthew out to be, the worse it's going to go." Asako rolled her eyes. "Duh."
Anastasia finally broke her silence. "Incoming."
"Incoming what?" Kadoc turned to her with a worried look.
"Maaaaasterrrrr!" Okita appeared in a cloud of sparks, skidding to a halt. "There's a warrior woman beating the living daylights out of Cu Chulainn in training ground four!"
"Oh! Scathach arrived!" Asako smiled widely. "She and Aunt Touko got along pretty well. If you want her to ease up-" She paused. "No, nevermind. She'd just show off for her. It'd be worse."
Okita blanched.
"I'm surprised nobody's intervened," Ritsuka muttered. He stood. "Alright."
"Don't be too worried." Emiya appeared in a swirl of gold. "There is actual training going on, for all that it's heavy-handed. From what I can tell, she isn't using lethal force. Not to mention Lancer's performance is steadily improving as she pushes him."
Ritsuka sighed. "Alright. I'll tell Matthew when I see him next. If any of you catch up with him first, send him after me, alright?"
"You're a brave man, Ritsuka Fujimaru." Kadoc clapped his hands together and bowed his head.
"I mean, if he tries anything his sister will get in the way, sooo…" Asako trailed off suggestively.
Roman rubbed his forehead. "Briefing over. All of you, out."
____________________________________________________________________________
"Big spins!"
Astolfo dangled over the couch, arms outstretched. He, Jeanne, and Sieg had found their way to us, and we managed to mostly cram ourselves together.
"I like the music," Sieg noted as the performance ended and the skater left the rink. "What's this called?"
"Yuri on Ice," I said, squinting at the program's name in the list of 'saved series' I'd found in the lounge.
"Are we going to get to see the dog again?" Mash folded her hands in her lap. "I hope it's okay…"
Astolfo stood up with a stretch. "Well, I want to get snacks! Uh. Where's the cafeteria…?"
"I found something in the cupboards," Jeanne interrupted before he could wander too far.
"Oooh, what do we have?" He bolted over towards the row of cupboards against the wall, opening each one and ducking his head in repeatedly.
"Astolfo…" Sieg shook his head with fond exasperation.
"Still, this is fun." Jeanne smiled. "We should do this more often."
"Yeah! They've got tons of movies and series pre-saved for viewing." I hummed. "Let's see… Devilman?"
"No thank you," Jeanne said immediately.
"Bones?"
"Mm…" Mash thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"Young Frankenstein?"
Sieg tilted his head. "What's that one?"
I shrugged. "Dunno. It's a list of titles, no descriptions."
"Frankenstein tends to be a horror movie, and it is almost Halloween…" Mash mused.
"I hope it's respectful to poor Berserker," Jeanne said with a slight frown.
"Berserker?" I blinked as Fou decided to perch in my lap. I ran my nails down his back as he let out a purring trill.
"She was an ally back in our Great Holy War!" Astolfo launched himself into the space between Sieg and I, smiling brightly. "Frankenstein's Monster - but we called her 'Fran'. Or I did. In my head. She was pretty nice, for a Berserker. Didn't start anything, but she'd sure finish it!"
"With most Berserkers, that's the best you can hope for," Jeanne noted.
"Yeah. We still don't have one here, actually," I mused. "Plenty of knights, some Casters and Riders, even a couple of Assassins. But no Berserkers."
"We even have Alter Egos," Astolfo teased, poking Sieg in the arm.
"So… should we watch it?" Mash tapped the booklet in my hand.
Fou sneezed.
"Why not," Sieg said after a moment. He raised an eyebrow as Astolfo budged him over, scooting away from me.
I pulled at my shirt and sniffed. "I showered, I swear."
"It's not that," Astolfo said with a grin.
There was a blue-and-red blur as a sixth person crammed onto the couch, somehow squishing into the space Astolfo left.
"What's up?" Musashi's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Movie time. We think it's a Halloween movie, so…" I was cut off as Musashi wrapped an arm around me.
"Then I'm just in time! Don't worry, you can hold onto me all you like. I'll keep you safe from the monsters." She winked.
Jeanne giggled, then slid her arm through Sieg's. "Shall I watch over you, too?"
Mash sighed. "And here I was, hoping for a quiet afternoon with my brother." She smiled a little as Fou transferred into her lap before curling up again. "Though this isn't so bad."
With the six of us crammed on the couch - plus one fuzz - I hit the button to start the movie.
____________________________________________________________________________
Morgan huffed indignantly, sweeping to the window of Merlin's prison.
"I don't get it. I told him the truth, finally, and he just… hasn't asked me anything else. In fact, he starts our conversations less and less!"
"Well, that's called growing up. He also has these things called friends and family. If you want his attention, you'll need to be a more physical presence," Merlin pointed out.
"You want me to leave her unattended? This is delicate, crucial work!" Morgan pointed at the azure lake adrift in the sea of flowers. "And without our other ally, it wouldn't even be possible, let alone what she did for Touko and Shotaro. Of the two of us, I'm the only one who can keep the process going."
"Yes, yes. Soul magic isn't my forte by a long shot, not least because the last vestiges of it are True Magic that my power can't reach." Merlin sighed. "He's growing up. Before, there were a handful of people he could talk to, and he was still hesitant. Now… well, it's just how children are. You can't control their fates, even if it would benefit them." A spark of regret flashed in his eyes.
Morgan drummed her fingers on the windowsill. "Lainur's in Septem. Do you think…?"
"It would be poetic, but it depends on several factors. And now we know that he isn't merely Lev Lainur, but Lev Lainur Flauros." Merlin tilted his head. "I was surprised that Aozaki gave up her right to battle him."
"Her place is at Asako's side, and deploying into a battle like that would force both of her Servants to unveil power that would draw Manaka's attention. I'm already gambling with the agent I deployed, along with the Council members' own plots." Morgan snorted. "That old witch managed to find a sufficiently major player and set the stage for something truly terrifying. Or maybe it will be beautiful. It'll be those three who determine it."
"And then we have the other one, accompanying your agent." Merlin chuckled, only for his expression to go flat. "Considering what they fight, will it be enough?"
"I arranged for the greatest version of the founder to appear in the Emperor's time of need." Morgan stood, finally turning her gaze from the placid lake and the body floating within. "Wrenching the chain summon was a touch difficult, but given the nature of the enemies… I think that so long as Chaldea sends the right emissaries, they will prevail."
"Mm. At any rate, that collection of fragments has made a miniature Grail, with a small Singularity of its own." Merlin smiled. "Maybe I'll nudge one of them in their sleep as a warning."
"Meaning Matthew." Morgan gave him a suspicious look. "You seem awfully attached to him, given how late I brought you in."
"Nnnot in that regard. I learned my lesson with Vivian, thank you very much." Merlin gave a wry smile. "He's a hybrid. Not something of divinity, or humanity. Even if his 'otherness' comes from the World rather than dreams like myself, I can see the similarities. It's similar to what attracts Gilgamesh to him, if in a different way."
"He's being far too quiet." Morgan scowled. "I'd have expected him to do something else. A seduction attempt at least."
Merlin hummed. "The appearance of his younger self was unexpected. It's entirely possible the memories of that version carried over to an extent."
"Hm… perhaps I can arrange something to temper him further. If he wants my Prince so badly, he can have him - and everything that entails." Morgan gave a small, wicked smile.
"Trying to change an ego like that will end in disaster," Merlin cautioned.
"And accelerating a natural progression? His 'Archer' incarnation is that of his power and tyranny around the time of Enkidu - shortly before, during, and shortly after. If summoned as 'Caster', he is the matured incarnation that ruled Uruk with a just hand." She chuckled, her armor flashing black momentarily. "Nudging him along that development is quite possible… and- tell me, when is the likeliest time for London's Singularity to manifest?"
Merlin frowned. "Likely between winter and spring of the coming year. The Sealed Ocean should manifest before year's end, and that-"
"Yes, yes. I've already enlisted my agent there, and nudged the summonings more towards Greece - though the age of sail is still very much present." Morgan giggled. "But. London. Yes, if I… oh. That power would- hm."
"Dare I ask?" Merlin sat in a chair, crossing his legs as he leaned an arm on the back.
"It's a plan to enact later. One of the threats we saw in London can likely be swayed." She paused. "Possibly others, but the one I'm thinking of will be quite… useful for my purpose."
Merlin narrowed his eyes for a moment, then closed them. "Ah. That could work, with some delicate touches."
Morgan giggled. "Ah, I'm so excited! Things will definitely start to pick up soon!"
"That's what I'm worried about…"
A world where Merlin, of all people, was the straight man. Honestly, it boggled his mind.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Sweet mystery of life, at last I've fooooound yooooou~!"
I snickered as Jeanne tried to reach around Sieg to poke at Astolfo. "You stop that," she tried to say through her giggles.
"So that… yeah. I don't think that was about Berserker at all." Sieg struggled to keep a straight face.
"Wait, Berserker? What?" Musashi squinted in confusion.
Mash ducked her head. "Well, um. Apparently their Berserker friend was the… the… Fran?"
"Fou!"
"And a woman to boot. Still, very nice for a Berserker. Right?" I leaned past Musashi a little.
"Right!" Astolfo agreed, ducking and keeping Sieg between him and Jeanne.
Sieg, to his credit, put up with it better than I would have.
"So. Fun times?" I smiled at Mash.
She beamed back at me. "Yes!"
Fou swished his tail merrily and gave a sharp chirp.
"How nice that you're all having a good time."
I stiffened as a hand wrapped around the back of my neck and hoisted me upright. A glance to the side showed Mash in the same position. Fou tumbled to the floor with a squeak.
Mash and I were turned as one to face the red haired woman with gleaming eyes. She was clad in dark clothes and armor, and her skin was pale - as though the sun was a distant memory to her, if seen at all.
"Oh. You're Cu's teacher, right?"
And there goes my mouth.
"And yours. And hers, if need be." She lightly jostled Mash. "Training ground four. Now." She dropped us back onto the couch, earning an indignant squawk when I landed on Musashi. Then she turned on her heel, vanishing into the air.
"...I wouldn't keep the Queen of the Land of Shadows waiting," Jeanne whispered.
Musashi groaned as I stood up, Mash close behind me. "Urgh. Are you going to be okay?" She frowned in concern.
"Hopefully." I shrugged.
"Right. I'm going with you." Musashi jumped to her feet, hands on her hips. "Who does she think she is, ruining our good time?!"
Mash stood up. "Stronger than us, probably."
"Yeaaah… she's tough. Really tough. Don't write a check with your mouth your body or magic can't cash," Astolfo warned. "Even with her level of Mystery, she could probably take on Nobunaga and win."
Musashi paled a little. "Huh. Uh. Good to know."
There wasn't much left to say, so we made our way to the training ground, Musashi in tow. Astolfo, Sieg, and Jeanne went their own way, likely in the opposite direction.
"So…" Mash trailed off.
In a spark of light, I changed into my armor. "Yep."
"Morgan?"
"Most likely."
Mash sighed, then donned her armor as she walked. "Is there a chance she'll stop helping?"
"Unlikely, given we're in a proxy war between her and someone equally tricky and likely unpleasant."
"How do you know? That they're, uh." Musashi paused.
"From what I've managed to puzzle out, Joan was meant to be our opponent in Orleans - her and Gilles de Rais. That did not happen. Instead we got Francois Prelati and LaVoisin. I'd be willing to bet that in the Grail War we met you in, Amakusa was never a part of it. From what I can tell, Assassin was meant to be Sasaki, Caster was meant to be Medea, and Saber was Artoria. That didn't happen." I stretched my arms upward and folded them behind my head.
"So what changed?" Mash picked up the pace to match mine, Fou bobbing his head up and down as she walked faster.
"My guess is that the proxy for Morgan's opponent is the mastermind behind the current crisis."
"Wait. So the mastermind is a pawn for a bigger mastermind?" Musashi grimaced. "That sounds bad."
"I'm sure whatever's coming will be appropriately catastrophic. It's why I wanted to keep working on more codes for Ritsuka and myself, but… well, after the last mission a little downtime doesn't suck." I sighed. "And now it's back to the grind. I wonder what she has in mind for us? My magecraft is radically different from anything she could have, and I don't know how much of Galahad's 'beat-them-with-a-tower-shield' fighting style she's familiar with."
With that, we arrived.
Training room four was a large room meant for hand-to-hand combat. The floor was padded, though in the case of most Servants that was a formality. There were places to sit and cool down, but for the most part it was a wide open space. The color scheme followed the halls'; various shades of white and off-white, sometimes with a bit of grey for flavor.
Scathach stood in the center, arms crossed. Her bearing was calm, at least.
Off to the left, Cu Chulainn reclined in a chair. He leaned back, eyes closed as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. His hair was down, and bruises faded with exaggerated slowness from the skin that was exposed - which was a considerable amount, given the tears in the top of his outfit. The bruises faded from angry violet and red to green to his normal skin tone in a gradual, yet accelerated fashion.
"Good." Scathach stepped forward. "You first." She pointed at me.
I swallowed. "What am I doing, exactly?"
"I used a curse on my hands to slow his healing. Any spell can counteract it." She moved her finger to point at Cu. "I want you to use your runes to break the spell and repair his body."
I moved my hand to-
"Without the wand. Air tracing only."
I frowned. "Do I get an example of how that works? When I met Cu, he was a Caster, but we were too busy fighting for me to see how it was done. That, and he moved fast."
Scathach cocked her head. "I can demonstrate," she allowed. "Tell me, how does the wand work?"
"It's a focus for my illusions. I make it rapidly write the incantations I need in the air, and since it's bending light in the first place, it's not as mana-intensive as trying to mould it myself."
Scathach arched an eyebrow. "Going around your elbow to find your ass, but I've heard of worse workarounds. Why not just use your illusions to project the runes?"
I paused.
"It's not the preferred way - that would be etching them in the air by calling them into being - but it would work."
I rubbed my chin. "Before, my skill at illusion was too low to get it to work and hold." I walked over to Cu, and pulled a chair up next to him. "It might work better, now. My wand'll always be faster, but…"
Scathach nodded. "Right. You, girlie. Get your shield out and show me your stance. I want to know what I'm working with."
Mash swallowed and held her arm out, the shield of Galahad appearing in her grip.
"Oversized. Good for wide swings that use centrifugal force, poor for precision strikes. At least, that's the initial thought." Scathach stepped forward, and beckoned Mash. "Let's look at the grip." Her tone wasn't gentle, but it wasn't abrasive either.
I turned my attention to Cu. "Hey," I said softly.
"Ow." He cracked an eye open and gave a slight grin. "I bet I look a mess, huh. Made the mistake of getting sentimental for a second, and that just pissed her off."
I dragged my finger through the air, frowning. "She's not happy to see you?"
"She wants me to kill her, so it's a bit mixed. If I can grant her death in combat someday, I will, but I'm not going to rush things." He closed his eye again.
"...huh?" I froze.
"She's still alive. Has been since before I was born, years and years ago. She's practically a Divine Spirit now. Embodiment of victory, doomed to endure in the Land of Shadows until the World ends." Cu continued to breathe, letting his limbs go slack while staying in the chair. "For someone who lives for the thrill of the fight, it's a hell of boredom."
"It sounds lonely, too," I murmured. Focusing, I managed to ignite a light on the tip of my finger. Slowly, deliberately, I dragged the point straight down, then curving upward. From there, I made a sharp right angle across the lines, and ended by placing a semicircle on the end. The rune hung in midair before flickering, and the bruising began to fade more rapidly.
"Whoa. On your first try?" Musashi leaned over.
"Felt that." Cu's eyes opened, and he gingerly sat up. "Whoa. I feel way better." He grinned at me. "Heh. Maybe I ought to have you at my bedside whenever I get injured." Then he winked.
Musashi giggled as my face heated up.
"Already?"
Scathach walked over, eyes narrowed.
"It's not fast. It took me about a minute to etch the rune for 'break', and all that did was remove the curse you placed. The rest is all him." I shrugged. "But yeah. I've spent eight years learning the language. It's just putting it on a new medium."
"That was definitely a rune," Cu mused. "Try with an illusion?"
I focused, and snapped my fingers. A glimmering line of text appeared for a split second, then scattered into particles of light.
As soon as they touched his body, Cu stood up. "Shit." He stared at me, wide-eyed.
"Faerie Runes address the World itself. They're a form of Marble Phantasm. On their own, they cannot approach True Magic, but when bound with intent into a set item, they can equal it with ease. That's the nature of Avalon, sheath of King Arthur, as well as her trusted blade." Scathach gave me a searching look. "How much mana did that take?"
"Not too much. Healing comes easy, to be honest. The only reason I didn't play nurse for Siegfried back in Orleans was because we were busy pressing our advantage on Prelati, and the worst was already past." I paused. "But it's definitely more than with the wand. That lets me streamline the process and prevent wasted mana."
Scathach crossed her arms. "I see. Your training will mostly deal with stamina, then. Tell me, which is more draining: the rune or the illusion of a rune?"
"The illusion." I flexed my hand. "Marble Phantasm… those can't affect things not of nature, right? But my runes can."
"Hence a form of it. They straddle the line between a Marble Phantasm and Reality Marble, but lack the overwhelming power and environmental change of the latter - unless bound to an object. Your hairpin, for example." Scathach nodded at the butterfly I'd pinned to the side of my head. "It allows for direct manipulation of four elements in their most classical sense. It doesn't allow use of related magecraft, but the precision and scale of the effects as well as their versatility make that redundant."
"Teacher, he's used his runes to create bounded fields. That's different from what you're saying, isn't it?" Cu crossed his arms, frowning slightly.
"And they played a part in opening a gate to Avalon - that's what that light was, wasn't it? When we fought Angra Mainyu?" Musashi leaned forward, putting her elbow on my shoulder.
"The latter is easily addressed. 'Avalon' is part of the World, albeit the Reverse Side. As he has a strong connection there, what 'nature' is capable of on his behalf encroaches on the esoteric. He still needs to bind the words to a physical medium to create a conceptual weapon. For the bounded field…" Scathach frowned.
"Well, I drew on Avalon itself to safeguard the observatory, and built it into the building itself. And for the one in Orleans, I worked off of Anastasia's existing territory to cut off the mana supply to the sea demons."
"Ah. It's indirect, but it counts." Scathach nodded. "By severing the mana of a summoned creature unable to live in the World from its summoner, it's forced to abide by the will of the World. To that end, it counts."
"Um?"
We turned to look.
Mash held her shield in a reverse grip, the top panel facing away from her as the elongated bottom pointed behind her. "Like this?"
A flicker of amusement passed across Scathach's face. "Yes, Mash." She glanced at me. "You can continue with self-study, but I will be making periodic checks on your progress. Should I notice an area you're deficient in, rest assured I will correct it."
I swallowed nervously as she walked away to correct my sister's stance and give pointers on her swings and follow-through.
"Huh. Guess you're further along than she thought," Cu mused, putting his elbow on my free shoulder.
"Ish? I still need to work on producing runes quickly without my wand." I cracked my knuckles. "Well, best get started." I frowned. "Crap."
"Hm?" Musashi blinked.
"Neither of you can tank my magecraft. I need Jeanne or Artoria to play target practice."
"Orrr you could practice support spells," Cu pointed out.
"But plague spells," I whined.
"That doesn't sound like Seelie magic to me." Cu lifted his elbow and put his hand on my head, mussing my hair. "And to be honest, the idea of you as a dark fairie scares me a little."
"That knife of his is already pretty suspect," Musashi grumbled. "Are you sure he's all the way to one side?"
"Look at him. Does this scream 'prince of dark and decay' to you?" Cu gently gripped my face in one hand, causing my lips to pucker.
Musashi giggled. "No, not really."
I swat them away. "Bleh. Bleeeh. Fine, I'll work on the buffs." I huffed. "Jerks."
Cu quickly kissed the side of my head. "Love you too," he said teasingly.
"Ah."
The three of us looked as Ritsuka stepped into the room.
"Matthew?"
I tilted my head.
"Senpai, what is it?" Mash looked concerned as Scathach held the shield up, paused mid-gesture at some detail of the handle.
"I've got some news."
Well that sounds ominous.
Fou crawled on his belly towards the door.
Ah. My, my.
Ritsuka took a deep breath and stepped closer, visibly steeling himself. "The… the magi and engineers delivered a petition to Doctor Roman yesterday. We've been trying to figure out how to tell you because it involves you."
I narrowed my eyes. "Uh-huh."
"Master."
We all looked to see Medusa walk into the room, smirking slightly.
She paused. "It can wait for a moment longer." Her expression fell from amused to concerned. "What's going on?"
Ritsuka took a breath. "The petition is for the next revival using the Shroud of Avalon."
Shit.
I rubbed my face with both hands. "Wodime."
"Ye-"
"They want fucking Wodime because they think he'll keep me on a shorter leash than you." A slight snarl entered my voice. "Fucking necessity."
Slowly, Ritsuka reached out and put a hand on my elbow.
I breathed in. Breathed out. "If we didn't need them happy and healthy, I'd just geas them into the ground for the temerity to even-" I cut myself off.
"It isn't an absolute. Depending on what we find in the next Singularity, we might have to prioritize another Master." Ritsuka's voice was soothing. "And even if he is the next to come back, you answer to me first. Any command he gives you goes through me." He paused.
Medusa stepped forward. "Who is 'Wodime'?"
Ritsuka opened his mouth.
"Marisbilly's chief lackey. The favored son, even if he's more adopted than anything." I snorted. "Really, if my head hadn't been up my own ass that would have been a major sign that Olga Marie wasn't nearly as bad as she tried to pretend. That, or we had enough common ground to coexist if I backed off a little."
"How so?" Ritsuka frowned.
"Kirschtaria was the heir to the Animusphere school of Astromancy, even though Olga Marie was the former Director's daughter," Mash said quietly. "Their relationship was never bad, but the former Director rarely spoke of her - and more often of him."
I scowled at the ground. "And now I need to bring him back instead of Olga. Damn it."
Medusa was quiet for a moment. "I see."
"You're over-worrying."
I narrowed my eyes at Scathach.
"Reviving him will be a net gain for your organization as a whole. If he was that high up, he can be put at a desk job and free up Roman and Da Vinci for other uses. He would likely have greater access to Chaldea's resources and could bring them to bear. In terms of drawbacks, Ritsuka is your Master. Not Kadoc, not the others, and not him. Unlike the other Servants, you aren't bound to obey his orders." Scathach placed a hand on her hip. "If this was some grand gambit to restrain your freedom, it failed miserably."
Cu gave a dark chuckle. "That's Teacher for you. She's got all kinds of skills - running organizations like she did her country, delegating and the like. She'll cut right to the heart of the matter, too." His smirk softened. "It's good to have you back."
"You said that earlier," Scathach accused, scowling.
Cu grinned. "Aye, but now you can't beat me over the head for being soft!"
The warrior woman scoffed. "Watch your step, Setanta."
I side-eyed him. "She can call you Setanta," I grumbled.
"She's my Teacher," he said simply. "You want to give me a nickname, come up with one yourself."
Medusa gave a warm chuckle. "So?"
Mash looked at me, then at where Fou had looped around and lay under Ritsuka's feet. "I think we're all good." She smiled a little.
"Don't get me wrong, this sucks," I complained. "But it's not a fight I need to pick." I stuck my tongue out, scrunching my eyes shut.
"Put that away before I decide to make use of it," Medusa said in a low, sultry tone.
I pulled my tongue back in and made an innocent expression.
Mash groaned. "Please don't say those sorts of things in front of me. He's my brother."
Musashi gave me a speculative look before turning red and turning away.
"You had something to say?" Scathach nodded at Medusa.
"Ah. There seems to be a small pseudo-Singularity forming that we need to take care of tomorrow." Medusa smiled a little. "Due to the nature of it, we've determined it's not a threat - but a Grail is there nonetheless, and obtaining it will help with our own goals."
"On Halloween? Really?" Ritsuka sighed.
"I never got to celebrate before," I mused. "Though that movie was pretty good."
"Movie?" Ritsuka turned to me.
"We watched 'Young Frankenstein', Senpai. It was really funny!" Mash brightened, smiling sunnily.
"Without me?" Cu made a mock-hurt expression.
"You were busy," Mash said dismissively. "Besides, we had fun with Sieg, Joan, and Astolfo."
"I thought it was gonna be a horror movie," Musashi admitted. "I gave Matthew my arm and everything!"
"You need to see my video game collection if you think I scare easily," I muttered.
"Put! The Candle! Back!" Mash enunciated before giggling.
"Frau Blucher," I deadpanned.
Musashi whinnied.
Ritsuka just stood there, looking lost.
"...now I wanna watch it, just so I can understand what the hell just happened," Cu muttered, bemused.
Medusa snorted. "Likewise." She smiled. "Also, I wouldn't worry about missing the festivities, given the nature of the mission."
"Huh?" Ritsuka blinked rapidly.
"Let's say that it's appropriate for the time of year… and familiar faces have been spotted." Medusa smiled a little. "Perhaps if it concludes early enough we can watch the movie."
Ritsuka relaxed a little. "Yeah. That sounds good." He smiled.
Scathach closed her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You're all going to be useless for the rest of the day. Fine, training's over. Out."
"Thank you for helping me with how to direct the shield." Mash gave a shallow bow.
"Yeah. I'll work on the rune stuff in my spare time - it'll be good if someone disarms me of the wand." I gave a sloppy salute.
Scathach exhaled lowly before smirking. "Noted. And dismissed."
We wandered out the door haphazardly, and in spite of the news Ritsuka brought… I was feeling pretty good. It probably had to do with the company.
Then a yowl of anguish echoed through the halls.
Ritsuka froze.
"Boss?" I asked.
"Senpai?" Mash blinked.
"Nobunaga did it." He hesitated. "I, uh. May not have gone out of my way to prevent it though."
"IT FREEZES AND IT BURNS! WHAT MAGECRAFT IS THIS!?"
For some reason I couldn't place, I smiled.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Higher!" The idol planted her hands on her hips.
"Sorry."
"I'm not sure how much higher it can go," the man in the flowing black coat mused. His long blond hair went past his shoulders, and his eyes were ringed by dark circles as he lightly tugged the rope.
"Don't worry, Liz. I'm sure it's well in view." Marie walked forward, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Elizabeth Bathory huffed. "It has to be perfect! All my fans are going to be here!"
"All… one? Possibly? Ow!" Mozart ducked as a bucket flew over his head.
"Be nice!" the Chevalier d'Eon scolded.
"It will be nice to properly meet the Chaldeans," the blond man said in a pleasant baritone. "And not as… that." His expression darkened momentarily.
"Sh, sh, sh. Happy thoughts," Liz counselled. "That was then, and we live in the now. This is what's truly important."
The man rolled his eyes. "I am Vlad III, little countess, not a fainting housewife."
"It's a shame that Atalanta and Lancelot couldn't make it," d'Eon mourned.
"A killjoy and a madman?" Mozart batted his eyes. "How tragic. Augh!"
That time, he had caught the broad side of a man's fist. The assailant, a white-haired gentleman clad in a suit, stepped forward. "Speak kindly of your comrades or not at all, composer," he scolded.
Mozart rubbed his cheek. "How barbaric. As expected of an executioner."
"That's enough!" Elizabeth crossed her arms. "We still have a million things-"
"About ten, actually," Vlad corrected her.
"A million things to do to get ready! I didn't get a chance to strut my stuff, so now's my chance! Siegfried, one last pull!"
The knight did as told, and the sign settled into place.
"Excellent! It's everything I'd hoped for!" Liz smiled brilliantly. "Now to set the stage!"
Marie giggled. "You heard the diva. Let's get to work!"
The other Servants made sounds of agreement with varying degrees of enthusiasm as they walked inside.
None of them noticed the figure that appeared.
"Will I find my Angel of Music…?" a shadow whispered as he gazed up at the sign.
To be honest, he reminded Emiya of the Sakura from his worlds. It was easy to see where Ritsuka got his patience and gentle nature from. No, Tohsaka Shotaro and Emiya Shirou were very different people.
It was for that reason he found himself becoming friends with the other man.
"Alright, I think the eggs are done." Shotaro stepped back after putting the last batch into the pan for serving. "What's left?" His eyes were clear, which was a recent change from what Ritsuka had said.
"Bacon's done," Ritsuka chimed in.
Emiya chuckled. "I think it's ready to hand out, then. The fruit's already been set out, and there's plenty of toast and preserves. Simple enough for breakfast, but filling."
"Mm. I hope everyone enjoys it." Shotaro stuffed his hands into his sleeves, something Emiya was coming to pick up on as a nervous tic.
"It'll be okay, Dad." Ritsuka smiled gently, leaning his shoulder against his father's for a moment.
"Unless you got any eggshell into the mix, I doubt you made any mistakes," Emiya said dismissively.
"No, I didn't." Shotaro smiled a little. "Thank you for letting me help. I suppose it's your time with Ritsuka, but…"
"If I minded, I wouldn't have let you stay." Emiya smirked. "You're far from the most annoying person I've shared a kitchen with."
Ritsuka covered his laugh with a cough as Shotaro gave a sheepish smile. "If you say so."
"I do. Feel free to help any time." Emiya grabbed two of the pans and began heading to the serving area. "Can you-?"
"Right." Shotaro grabbed the others and followed him, setting all of them in a row. "Think this will be enough for everyone?"
"Assuming nobody tries to overindulge." Emiya paused. "I set an extra pan of each aside for Matthew and Artoria."
"Hah! Matthew sure can put it away. I wonder where it all goes…" Ritsuka mused. "Mash doesn't eat nearly as much."
"Mash has a human metabolism, mostly." Emiya inclined his head. "Matthew is a hybrid."
"Among other things…" Ritsuka murmured, a dark look crossing his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Shotaro's gaze zeroed in on Ritsuka.
"Just that he went through a lot." Ritsuka gave a huff. "So what're you guys planning to do for the rest of the day?"
"I figured I'd look at the machinery around here, see what I could get with structural analysis." Emiya shrugged. "Come back for lunch and dinner."
"I was going to find a workshop and just… see what happened." Shotaro leaned on his good leg, the brace visible on the other. Emiya couldn't read modern greek, let alone ancient, but he assumed that the work of the Olympian Forge-God was what helped the man be as mobile as he was.
Ritsuka perked up. "So what're you thinking of making?" He turned to Emiya. "Dad would make all kinds of ornaments at home. He'd sculpt glass, make window hangings out of cut rocks. Sometimes he'd even make jewelry for Mom."
Emiya hummed. "Interesting."
"It's not as impressive as making weapons, I'll admit," Shotaro demurred. "But it's something I take pride in. I wonder how many of my gifts turned out to be mystic codes in the making…?"
"Knowing Mom? All of them. She'd look for any excuse to wear them." Ritsuka's smile was melancholy. "How… how is she?"
Shotaro crossed his arms. "Well. Surprisingly well. She took to her new role better than anyone thought. Even if it meant giving up her work as the Wizard Marshal's apprentice, she decided it was what she wanted." He paused. "She said that she wanted it to go to you. Once this is all done, Asako will inherit the family Crest and gem research, while you would-"
"I don't have the talent to make use of it." Ritsuka shook his head. "And I'm just a spellcaster, anyways."
Shotaro narrowed his eyes. "Your mother and Asako both agreed to it." He gave a deep sigh. "Even if it was only for a few days, exposing you to the Clock Tower was a mistake."
"So Mom told you?"
Emiya looked back and forth between father and son.
"The Einzbern curse stole time from us. Me, you, your sister. I… I can't hate them for it, because I understand a little bit of them. But it's also something that-" Shotaro placed his hand over his forehead. "I wouldn't engage with them willingly, in violence or otherwise. That said, I really don't mind missing out on magus culture at large."
"She took you to London?" Emiya's brow furrowed.
"Ritsuka hadn't learned to hide his magecraft properly yet, and my condition kept acting up." Shotaro looked downward. "It was the beginning of- it got worse over time. The slightest allusion would trigger it, rather than a direct mention. At the end, it was my own intense emotions that drove it back, only a little before Ritsuka left."
Ritsuka ducked his head. "I'm sorry."
"Ritsuka, no. You're not at fault." Shotaro wore a pained expression. "You- all the memories that I can put together- you're good. You're the best son I could have asked for. I just wish that I could have been a better father."
"If nothing else, your chance to do so is here," Emiya interrupted. He crossed his arms. "Second chances like this are rarer than you'd think."
"...yeah." Ritsuka smiled. "I'm glad you're here."
Shotaro picked Ritsuka up in a bear hug. "Me too."
"Dad! C'mon!" Ritsuka laughed helplessly as Shotaro dropped him back on his feet.
Despite himself and his pride at being a bit of a bastard, Emiya smiled.
"-so teach me already!"
The three men turned to see an utterly haggard Lord El-Melloi II with circles under his eyes as Asako followed at his heels.
"Please. Please, take your spawn and hand her off to someone else," the man begged Shotaro.
Shotaro hummed. "Actually, Ritsuka could use training in the basics too…" he mused, resting his chin on his fist.
"Eh-heh… about that…" Ritsuka rubbed the back of his head.
"Hm?" Emiya raised an eyebrow.
"So, Matthew, Mash, and I seem to have some kind of… thing?"
"A thing?" Shotaro blinked slowly. "But they're siblings."
Ritsuka went scarlet. "Not like that! Like a power transference!" He crossed his arms. "Mash's power keeps me from harm, and I think… Matthew's knowledge filters through to me. About magecraft, at least. Not faerie-style, but human-style - the stuff he learned from Da Vinci."
"Interesting. It sounds like a quirk of the FATE system," El-Melloi II mused. He sidestepped Asako as she reached to grab his overcoat. "We may want to check Zemlupus to see if Anastasia has had any effect on him."
"Right," Ritsuka agreed. "...I get the feeling that there's a lot of interference going on."
"What was your first clue?" Emiya quipped, jabbing his thumb at Shotaro. The other man flushed lightly, ducking his head in embarrassment.
"So you're getting a secondhand education from Da Vinci hi- her- themself?" Asako's eyes widened. "Lucky!" She whirled on El-Melloi II. "Now you have to teach me! Your record at the Clock Tower for turning out magi of standing is unparalleled!"
"You have an entire Grand Magus to draw on," El-Melloi II hissed. "Can't you bother her!?"
"She's Aunt Sakura's teacher," Asako explained, as though to a very young child. "Right now she's playing bodyguard because Aunt Sakura and Mom are helping Morgan, but that doesn't mean she'll teach me."
El-Melloi II looked to Ritsuka. On any other man, it would have looked like a pleading gaze. From what Emiya saw, it just looked like exhaustion.
"What is it you'd be doing?" Ritsuka asked.
"I found the new Super Robot Wars in one of the lounges," El-Melloi II began.
Ritsuka blinked. "I see."
For a moment, no one spoke. The silence was heavy.
Ritsuka turned to Asako with closed eyes and a pleasant smile. "Asako?"
"Yes, Ritsuka?" Asako folded her hands behind her back, looking for all the world like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.
"Enjoy your free lessons."
As Asako squealed, El-Melloi II weakly protested, and Shotaro let out a surprised guffaw… Emiya realized what he'd overlooked.
It was true that Ritsuka was Shotaro's child in many ways, similarities that made their company enjoyable to the Counter Guardian.
However.
Ritsuka was, in fact, Rin's child as well.
Emiya smirked.
____________________________________________________________________________
I rolled over, slowly waking up. Something soft brushed my arm. "Hmr?" I sat up, rubbing my eyes as the sheets fell off of my torso.
"Fou." The voice was muffled, but still.
Fou sat next to me in the otherwise empty bed, an envelope in his mouth.
...why isn't Cu here?
Fou pushed the envelope against my hand, and I took it. After opening, I unfolded the letter.
"Damned Pixie, I'm writing this because my idiot pupil asked. I spent eight hours outside Chaldea, in the snow, waiting for someone to let me in. Then, after providing Setanta an anchor during your fight, you still neglected to let me in. Ultimately, your miniature Beast opened the door. Setanta is training, as he didn't wake even with me standing over him with a drawn weapon. I'll return him to you in one piece, so don't get dramatic about it. That piece will be bruised. Thoroughly. In the near future, I'll be teaching you applications of your runes. Prepare for it. Lord of Dun Scaith - Scathach."
With a scowl, I tossed it onto my nightstand. "Wonder why she gets to call him Setanta," I grumbled, standing up. I hauled clean clothes out of my dresser and flung them at the bed, narrowly missing Fou. Then I made a beeline to the attached bathroom. "Just so you're warned, I'm taking a shower. Avert your fuzzy little eyes."
"Fou!"
In short order, I cleaned myself and dressed, ready to face the day. Fou leapt onto my shoulder as I straightened my sweater, and I hit the light as I left my bedroom.
"Good morning." Mash smiled as the door shut behind me, brandishing a plate of food.
"...should I be avoiding the cafeteria?" I asked after a moment, taking the plate.
"Possibly." Her visible eye glanced away. "Senpai is having a… discussion… with some of the other magi."
"About me." I sighed. "Curse necessity."
Mash's eye narrowed. "Matthew."
"I'm not talking about killing them, just scaring them." I rolled my eyes. "I don't think I've ever been that bad."
"You used to hiss like a cat and use what shape changing magecraft you had to claw at people whenever they got too close."
"Hey, it worked. People left well enough alone," I pointed out. "And you'll note I never connected a hit. Not once."
"No, you just alienated the entire staff, even those who weren't involved with us." Mash crossed her arms and frowned.
"It's not like they'd have been any help regardless," I muttered. "Thanks for the food. I'm just gonna." I waved a hand. "Probably go work on something."
"I'll go with you. It's not like I have anything else to occupy me at the moment."
"Fou!" the little hellion chirped happily.
"Not going to- ah. Ritsuka's got his hands full with the locals, huh." I blew air from my lips as we started walking. "Do you spend time with any of the others?"
"Doctor Roman is busy, and so is Da Vinci. I…" Mash looked down. "In Orleans, I spent some time with Lancelot, but…"
I grimaced. "Yeah."
"Ophelia's still sleeping, and the Director… I never saw her much, but I hoped…"
"Right." I huffed. "What about Anastasia? Or Jeanne? I bet Bradamante would hang out with you if you asked. And, well, Artoria's taken an interest in your training."
Mash giggled a little. "She has. Her instructions were a little haphazard yesterday, but I feel like I've got a better grasp on using my shield to fight." She looked away. "Galahad still hasn't reached out to me. Not like you and Morgan."
"I'm ninety percent sure Morgan is more than your average Servant, and is more anchored to me than possessing me. Galahad is in your head. Morgan is out there somewhere, and tethered to my existence. Slight difference." I grabbed the fork on the plate and speared some eggs as we kept walking, stuffing them into my mouth.
"And if he's in there, he should speak to me. If he's really here to help-"
"Galahad was mad as hell when he came to. I mean, Chaldea doesn't have the most wholesome past, you know." I stabbed some more egg. "If I had to take a gamble, it would be that he stayed to keep you breathing because you were an innocent and your death by his inaction wasn't something he could handle. He'll pitch in as you prove yourself, but… most of your skill comes from him in the first place. Not to mention, the first Singularity almost turned into a Cosmic Horror story." I shuddered before eating some more.
"So you did some reading?" Mash teased.
"Yeah. Did you know Lovecraft was a super turbo racist?" I stared at her with wide eyes. "And then there's all sorts of stuff like diaspora, and slavery- humans from Europe have a lot to answer for!"
"They're all sort of dead, Matthew." Mash frowned a little.
"Okay, sure, but the systems they made are left behind," I argued.
"The world doesn't exist right now, Matthew. Assuming we both live through this, we can look into addressing the many wrongs humans visited upon each other through the ages." Mash sighed. "Doctor Roman said that people with power can and often will abuse it. And they will often abuse those different from them, and make use of them for their own goals."
I looked at her, confused.
"I asked why you were treated the way you were. In the beginning, you were quiet and kept to yourself." Mash crossed her arms. "You didn't… not until you attacked the former director." She paused. "Former, former director."
I shrugged, putting the fork down and popping a strip of bacon into my mouth. "After a point, I stopped caring and just went wild." I frowned. "So Marisbilly wasn't an anomaly. But… people still loved him."
Figures of power carry a charisma that lets them lead. Sometimes they rule by fear, other times they rule with the consent and support of like-minded people. Often, both are true.
Huh.
Not to mention, Lev Lainur had Animusphere's ear for a very long time. Knowing what we know now, it's likely he worked to suppress you in case we became a threat.
...you just figured this out!?
Well, no. But you already hated him by association and anything that might absolve Animusphere would push you over an edge I didn't like to think of. Especially since it doesn't absolve him - he made his choices.
...then what about Archaman?
Hm? Well, he's not blameless either. There wasn't much he could do for you, but he tried his best. That said, he has other sins to atone for, so I wasn't going to force you into thinking critically at that juncture. You weren't ready for it.
I stopped walking.
"Matthew?" Mash looked at me.
So, what. You used me to punish him?
No. I merely let you behave as you wished. If I had told you his feelings, would you have listened then? Without Peperoncino's influence? Ritsuka's? Little Gilgamesh's?
I sighed slowly.
Right. You're right. I wouldn't have listened.
I blinked rapidly as Fou's nose brushed my cheek.
"Are you… all right?" Mash frowned.
I picked up a strip of bacon and ripped it in half with my finger and thumb. Half went on the plate, and the other went to Fou, who grabbed it with his mouth and gnawed greedily.
"I'm getting there," I admitted. Which, true. I'd had help, but I was definitely better than I had been.
Mash hummed. "I don't think I've been here before…"
I looked up. We were outside a different lounge from my usual one. The walls were painted a soft peach color, and there was a series of chairs, couches, and coffee tables. On one wall was a huge television screen.
"Well, might as well check it out." I walked in, Mash right behind me. I zeroed in on a remote control and pamphlet on the table in front of the largest couch. After setting my plate down and a quick wave of my hand to engulf it in a small bounded field, I picked the booklet up.
Fou leapt off of my shoulder and shot me a foul look before curling into a ball in the dead center of one of the cushions.
Mash giggled. "Poor Fou."
"He'll be fine. I've still got bacon to share; I'm just not giving him all of it." I gave him a stern look.
He tucked his nose under his tail and narrowed his eyes before feigning sleep.
With a decisive snap, I closed the pamphlet. "So!"
Mash tilted her head.
I grinned. "Want to watch something?"
Fou slowly opened one eye.
Mash smiled. "I think I can make time."
____________________________________________________________________________
Roman slowly dragged his hand down his face. "I am going to launch Caspan Barthomeloi out of a cannon."
"We don't have one!" Da Vinci chirped.
"What would it take to convince you to build one? Funding? Another workshop?"
Da Vinci tapped her chin before smiling. "I'd make a cannon to launch him into the sun for one cheeto puff!"
"You don't even like cheetos," Roman said accusingly.
"I know! It's for fueling the cannon."
Kadoc held up a hand to forestall the conversation. "Before we get carried away discussing an extrajudicial execution, henceforth known as 'murder', can we discuss the situation at hand?"
Anastasia materialized. "I put something called 'IcyHot' in all of his underwear."
Ritsuka shot her a despairing look. The Masters had congregated to discuss the situation at hand with the administrators.
...so far, success was mixed.
"You did not," Ritsuka groaned.
"No, I didn't."
He sighed in relief.
"Nobunaga and her Nobus did. Viy helped by locating the right room and drawer."
Roman dropped his hand. "That. Sounds on brand."
Asako gave a wicked giggle. "Okay. So, I'm a little behind. Who is 'Kirschtaria Wodime', and why don't we want to wake him up?"
"Well, we do. He's tied with Daybit Sem Void as one of our most potent assets," Roman admitted. "It's just forcing Matthew into it is… a poor idea. Even with his improved attitude."
"Of course, both Barthomeloi and Matthew have greatly misunderstood Kirschtaria," Da Vinci noted. "Barthomeloi thinks he's a proper leader, and a stone cold aristocrat. That is… half-right. Matthew thinks he's Marisbilly Animusphere's heir, and as cold and cruel as the former Director. Again, half-right. He is a good leader, and would help with shifting a great deal of work away from Romani. Unlike Olga Marie, he was recognized as heir to the Animusphere style of Magecraft, and inherited the Director's ideals to save and improve the world."
"That's where the similarities end, though. Kirsch played up the front of the aristocrat for the Clock Tower's sake, but…" Kadoc trailed off.
"That's the Clock Tower," Asako replied dismissively. "What was he really like?"
"Well, he was confident, sure, but also kind. If…" Kadoc sighed. "He might have made a mistake."
Ritsuka frowned. "How so?"
"His response to Matthew on meeting him was to thank him for his sacrifice in saving the world," Da Vinci mused. "Not long after, Matthew attacked Marisbilly Animusphere out of perceived threat against his sister. Kirschtaria was kept away from him, despite a desire to speak and understand his actions. There's a fatal lack of understanding between them, and we have to face facts." She folded her arms. "Out of the Servants currently here, the only one with a less-than-favorable view of Matthew is Sasaki Kojirou. Even then, he's simply neutral instead of friendly."
"Nobunaga's still making up her mind," Kadoc added. "But yeah. Almost everyone else is on friendly terms - and only the Servants. Anyone in a tech position or a magical one is scared, and everyone else just sees their reactions to him."
"If we could be sure Matthew would cooperate, reviving Kirschtaria would solve more problems than it caused," Ritsuka summed up. "But between his own biases and Wodime's poor first impression?"
"I mean, it's not like he signed up for this, right? So the sacrifice Wodime thanked him for wasn't even his choice," Asako pointed out.
"Which is the crux of the situation. Matthew resents Chaldea, but understands its necessity. It's a delicate balance. If we got him to revive Wodime a little early, he'd grumble. But before Scandinavia or Hinako?" Roman shook his head.
"...yeah. Oh, this is gonna suck." Kadoc grimaced.
"Do we think Gilgamesh might try and, ah, preemptively…?" Ritsuka trailed off. "I don't know what brought on destroying Beryl Gut's coffin."
"Unlikely. Kirschtaria had little engagement with Matthew, where Beryl was… himself." Roman's brow twitched. "And it says quite a bit that we have to plan the logistics of reviving Masters around one person. If I didn't know Matthew's character, I could understand where Caspan is coming from. Intentionally or otherwise, he's made himself indispensable to the running of Chaldea. He's key to bringing the others back, and Da Vinci has already recorded no less than three attempts to probe the Bounded Field."
"So who's telling him? We should definitely tell him." Asako planted her palms to either side of her as she leaned forward. "The longer we don't, the worse it'll be."
"Yeah." Roman narrowed his eyes. "You seem to have a surprisingly good read on him."
"That's called common sense. The longer you withhold bad news from a person, especially one as volatile as you make Matthew out to be, the worse it's going to go." Asako rolled her eyes. "Duh."
Anastasia finally broke her silence. "Incoming."
"Incoming what?" Kadoc turned to her with a worried look.
"Maaaaasterrrrr!" Okita appeared in a cloud of sparks, skidding to a halt. "There's a warrior woman beating the living daylights out of Cu Chulainn in training ground four!"
"Oh! Scathach arrived!" Asako smiled widely. "She and Aunt Touko got along pretty well. If you want her to ease up-" She paused. "No, nevermind. She'd just show off for her. It'd be worse."
Okita blanched.
"I'm surprised nobody's intervened," Ritsuka muttered. He stood. "Alright."
"Don't be too worried." Emiya appeared in a swirl of gold. "There is actual training going on, for all that it's heavy-handed. From what I can tell, she isn't using lethal force. Not to mention Lancer's performance is steadily improving as she pushes him."
Ritsuka sighed. "Alright. I'll tell Matthew when I see him next. If any of you catch up with him first, send him after me, alright?"
"You're a brave man, Ritsuka Fujimaru." Kadoc clapped his hands together and bowed his head.
"I mean, if he tries anything his sister will get in the way, sooo…" Asako trailed off suggestively.
Roman rubbed his forehead. "Briefing over. All of you, out."
____________________________________________________________________________
"Big spins!"
Astolfo dangled over the couch, arms outstretched. He, Jeanne, and Sieg had found their way to us, and we managed to mostly cram ourselves together.
"I like the music," Sieg noted as the performance ended and the skater left the rink. "What's this called?"
"Yuri on Ice," I said, squinting at the program's name in the list of 'saved series' I'd found in the lounge.
"Are we going to get to see the dog again?" Mash folded her hands in her lap. "I hope it's okay…"
Astolfo stood up with a stretch. "Well, I want to get snacks! Uh. Where's the cafeteria…?"
"I found something in the cupboards," Jeanne interrupted before he could wander too far.
"Oooh, what do we have?" He bolted over towards the row of cupboards against the wall, opening each one and ducking his head in repeatedly.
"Astolfo…" Sieg shook his head with fond exasperation.
"Still, this is fun." Jeanne smiled. "We should do this more often."
"Yeah! They've got tons of movies and series pre-saved for viewing." I hummed. "Let's see… Devilman?"
"No thank you," Jeanne said immediately.
"Bones?"
"Mm…" Mash thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"Young Frankenstein?"
Sieg tilted his head. "What's that one?"
I shrugged. "Dunno. It's a list of titles, no descriptions."
"Frankenstein tends to be a horror movie, and it is almost Halloween…" Mash mused.
"I hope it's respectful to poor Berserker," Jeanne said with a slight frown.
"Berserker?" I blinked as Fou decided to perch in my lap. I ran my nails down his back as he let out a purring trill.
"She was an ally back in our Great Holy War!" Astolfo launched himself into the space between Sieg and I, smiling brightly. "Frankenstein's Monster - but we called her 'Fran'. Or I did. In my head. She was pretty nice, for a Berserker. Didn't start anything, but she'd sure finish it!"
"With most Berserkers, that's the best you can hope for," Jeanne noted.
"Yeah. We still don't have one here, actually," I mused. "Plenty of knights, some Casters and Riders, even a couple of Assassins. But no Berserkers."
"We even have Alter Egos," Astolfo teased, poking Sieg in the arm.
"So… should we watch it?" Mash tapped the booklet in my hand.
Fou sneezed.
"Why not," Sieg said after a moment. He raised an eyebrow as Astolfo budged him over, scooting away from me.
I pulled at my shirt and sniffed. "I showered, I swear."
"It's not that," Astolfo said with a grin.
There was a blue-and-red blur as a sixth person crammed onto the couch, somehow squishing into the space Astolfo left.
"What's up?" Musashi's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Movie time. We think it's a Halloween movie, so…" I was cut off as Musashi wrapped an arm around me.
"Then I'm just in time! Don't worry, you can hold onto me all you like. I'll keep you safe from the monsters." She winked.
Jeanne giggled, then slid her arm through Sieg's. "Shall I watch over you, too?"
Mash sighed. "And here I was, hoping for a quiet afternoon with my brother." She smiled a little as Fou transferred into her lap before curling up again. "Though this isn't so bad."
With the six of us crammed on the couch - plus one fuzz - I hit the button to start the movie.
____________________________________________________________________________
Morgan huffed indignantly, sweeping to the window of Merlin's prison.
"I don't get it. I told him the truth, finally, and he just… hasn't asked me anything else. In fact, he starts our conversations less and less!"
"Well, that's called growing up. He also has these things called friends and family. If you want his attention, you'll need to be a more physical presence," Merlin pointed out.
"You want me to leave her unattended? This is delicate, crucial work!" Morgan pointed at the azure lake adrift in the sea of flowers. "And without our other ally, it wouldn't even be possible, let alone what she did for Touko and Shotaro. Of the two of us, I'm the only one who can keep the process going."
"Yes, yes. Soul magic isn't my forte by a long shot, not least because the last vestiges of it are True Magic that my power can't reach." Merlin sighed. "He's growing up. Before, there were a handful of people he could talk to, and he was still hesitant. Now… well, it's just how children are. You can't control their fates, even if it would benefit them." A spark of regret flashed in his eyes.
Morgan drummed her fingers on the windowsill. "Lainur's in Septem. Do you think…?"
"It would be poetic, but it depends on several factors. And now we know that he isn't merely Lev Lainur, but Lev Lainur Flauros." Merlin tilted his head. "I was surprised that Aozaki gave up her right to battle him."
"Her place is at Asako's side, and deploying into a battle like that would force both of her Servants to unveil power that would draw Manaka's attention. I'm already gambling with the agent I deployed, along with the Council members' own plots." Morgan snorted. "That old witch managed to find a sufficiently major player and set the stage for something truly terrifying. Or maybe it will be beautiful. It'll be those three who determine it."
"And then we have the other one, accompanying your agent." Merlin chuckled, only for his expression to go flat. "Considering what they fight, will it be enough?"
"I arranged for the greatest version of the founder to appear in the Emperor's time of need." Morgan stood, finally turning her gaze from the placid lake and the body floating within. "Wrenching the chain summon was a touch difficult, but given the nature of the enemies… I think that so long as Chaldea sends the right emissaries, they will prevail."
"Mm. At any rate, that collection of fragments has made a miniature Grail, with a small Singularity of its own." Merlin smiled. "Maybe I'll nudge one of them in their sleep as a warning."
"Meaning Matthew." Morgan gave him a suspicious look. "You seem awfully attached to him, given how late I brought you in."
"Nnnot in that regard. I learned my lesson with Vivian, thank you very much." Merlin gave a wry smile. "He's a hybrid. Not something of divinity, or humanity. Even if his 'otherness' comes from the World rather than dreams like myself, I can see the similarities. It's similar to what attracts Gilgamesh to him, if in a different way."
"He's being far too quiet." Morgan scowled. "I'd have expected him to do something else. A seduction attempt at least."
Merlin hummed. "The appearance of his younger self was unexpected. It's entirely possible the memories of that version carried over to an extent."
"Hm… perhaps I can arrange something to temper him further. If he wants my Prince so badly, he can have him - and everything that entails." Morgan gave a small, wicked smile.
"Trying to change an ego like that will end in disaster," Merlin cautioned.
"And accelerating a natural progression? His 'Archer' incarnation is that of his power and tyranny around the time of Enkidu - shortly before, during, and shortly after. If summoned as 'Caster', he is the matured incarnation that ruled Uruk with a just hand." She chuckled, her armor flashing black momentarily. "Nudging him along that development is quite possible… and- tell me, when is the likeliest time for London's Singularity to manifest?"
Merlin frowned. "Likely between winter and spring of the coming year. The Sealed Ocean should manifest before year's end, and that-"
"Yes, yes. I've already enlisted my agent there, and nudged the summonings more towards Greece - though the age of sail is still very much present." Morgan giggled. "But. London. Yes, if I… oh. That power would- hm."
"Dare I ask?" Merlin sat in a chair, crossing his legs as he leaned an arm on the back.
"It's a plan to enact later. One of the threats we saw in London can likely be swayed." She paused. "Possibly others, but the one I'm thinking of will be quite… useful for my purpose."
Merlin narrowed his eyes for a moment, then closed them. "Ah. That could work, with some delicate touches."
Morgan giggled. "Ah, I'm so excited! Things will definitely start to pick up soon!"
"That's what I'm worried about…"
A world where Merlin, of all people, was the straight man. Honestly, it boggled his mind.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Sweet mystery of life, at last I've fooooound yooooou~!"
I snickered as Jeanne tried to reach around Sieg to poke at Astolfo. "You stop that," she tried to say through her giggles.
"So that… yeah. I don't think that was about Berserker at all." Sieg struggled to keep a straight face.
"Wait, Berserker? What?" Musashi squinted in confusion.
Mash ducked her head. "Well, um. Apparently their Berserker friend was the… the… Fran?"
"Fou!"
"And a woman to boot. Still, very nice for a Berserker. Right?" I leaned past Musashi a little.
"Right!" Astolfo agreed, ducking and keeping Sieg between him and Jeanne.
Sieg, to his credit, put up with it better than I would have.
"So. Fun times?" I smiled at Mash.
She beamed back at me. "Yes!"
Fou swished his tail merrily and gave a sharp chirp.
"How nice that you're all having a good time."
I stiffened as a hand wrapped around the back of my neck and hoisted me upright. A glance to the side showed Mash in the same position. Fou tumbled to the floor with a squeak.
Mash and I were turned as one to face the red haired woman with gleaming eyes. She was clad in dark clothes and armor, and her skin was pale - as though the sun was a distant memory to her, if seen at all.
"Oh. You're Cu's teacher, right?"
And there goes my mouth.
"And yours. And hers, if need be." She lightly jostled Mash. "Training ground four. Now." She dropped us back onto the couch, earning an indignant squawk when I landed on Musashi. Then she turned on her heel, vanishing into the air.
"...I wouldn't keep the Queen of the Land of Shadows waiting," Jeanne whispered.
Musashi groaned as I stood up, Mash close behind me. "Urgh. Are you going to be okay?" She frowned in concern.
"Hopefully." I shrugged.
"Right. I'm going with you." Musashi jumped to her feet, hands on her hips. "Who does she think she is, ruining our good time?!"
Mash stood up. "Stronger than us, probably."
"Yeaaah… she's tough. Really tough. Don't write a check with your mouth your body or magic can't cash," Astolfo warned. "Even with her level of Mystery, she could probably take on Nobunaga and win."
Musashi paled a little. "Huh. Uh. Good to know."
There wasn't much left to say, so we made our way to the training ground, Musashi in tow. Astolfo, Sieg, and Jeanne went their own way, likely in the opposite direction.
"So…" Mash trailed off.
In a spark of light, I changed into my armor. "Yep."
"Morgan?"
"Most likely."
Mash sighed, then donned her armor as she walked. "Is there a chance she'll stop helping?"
"Unlikely, given we're in a proxy war between her and someone equally tricky and likely unpleasant."
"How do you know? That they're, uh." Musashi paused.
"From what I've managed to puzzle out, Joan was meant to be our opponent in Orleans - her and Gilles de Rais. That did not happen. Instead we got Francois Prelati and LaVoisin. I'd be willing to bet that in the Grail War we met you in, Amakusa was never a part of it. From what I can tell, Assassin was meant to be Sasaki, Caster was meant to be Medea, and Saber was Artoria. That didn't happen." I stretched my arms upward and folded them behind my head.
"So what changed?" Mash picked up the pace to match mine, Fou bobbing his head up and down as she walked faster.
"My guess is that the proxy for Morgan's opponent is the mastermind behind the current crisis."
"Wait. So the mastermind is a pawn for a bigger mastermind?" Musashi grimaced. "That sounds bad."
"I'm sure whatever's coming will be appropriately catastrophic. It's why I wanted to keep working on more codes for Ritsuka and myself, but… well, after the last mission a little downtime doesn't suck." I sighed. "And now it's back to the grind. I wonder what she has in mind for us? My magecraft is radically different from anything she could have, and I don't know how much of Galahad's 'beat-them-with-a-tower-shield' fighting style she's familiar with."
With that, we arrived.
Training room four was a large room meant for hand-to-hand combat. The floor was padded, though in the case of most Servants that was a formality. There were places to sit and cool down, but for the most part it was a wide open space. The color scheme followed the halls'; various shades of white and off-white, sometimes with a bit of grey for flavor.
Scathach stood in the center, arms crossed. Her bearing was calm, at least.
Off to the left, Cu Chulainn reclined in a chair. He leaned back, eyes closed as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. His hair was down, and bruises faded with exaggerated slowness from the skin that was exposed - which was a considerable amount, given the tears in the top of his outfit. The bruises faded from angry violet and red to green to his normal skin tone in a gradual, yet accelerated fashion.
"Good." Scathach stepped forward. "You first." She pointed at me.
I swallowed. "What am I doing, exactly?"
"I used a curse on my hands to slow his healing. Any spell can counteract it." She moved her finger to point at Cu. "I want you to use your runes to break the spell and repair his body."
I moved my hand to-
"Without the wand. Air tracing only."
I frowned. "Do I get an example of how that works? When I met Cu, he was a Caster, but we were too busy fighting for me to see how it was done. That, and he moved fast."
Scathach cocked her head. "I can demonstrate," she allowed. "Tell me, how does the wand work?"
"It's a focus for my illusions. I make it rapidly write the incantations I need in the air, and since it's bending light in the first place, it's not as mana-intensive as trying to mould it myself."
Scathach arched an eyebrow. "Going around your elbow to find your ass, but I've heard of worse workarounds. Why not just use your illusions to project the runes?"
I paused.
"It's not the preferred way - that would be etching them in the air by calling them into being - but it would work."
I rubbed my chin. "Before, my skill at illusion was too low to get it to work and hold." I walked over to Cu, and pulled a chair up next to him. "It might work better, now. My wand'll always be faster, but…"
Scathach nodded. "Right. You, girlie. Get your shield out and show me your stance. I want to know what I'm working with."
Mash swallowed and held her arm out, the shield of Galahad appearing in her grip.
"Oversized. Good for wide swings that use centrifugal force, poor for precision strikes. At least, that's the initial thought." Scathach stepped forward, and beckoned Mash. "Let's look at the grip." Her tone wasn't gentle, but it wasn't abrasive either.
I turned my attention to Cu. "Hey," I said softly.
"Ow." He cracked an eye open and gave a slight grin. "I bet I look a mess, huh. Made the mistake of getting sentimental for a second, and that just pissed her off."
I dragged my finger through the air, frowning. "She's not happy to see you?"
"She wants me to kill her, so it's a bit mixed. If I can grant her death in combat someday, I will, but I'm not going to rush things." He closed his eye again.
"...huh?" I froze.
"She's still alive. Has been since before I was born, years and years ago. She's practically a Divine Spirit now. Embodiment of victory, doomed to endure in the Land of Shadows until the World ends." Cu continued to breathe, letting his limbs go slack while staying in the chair. "For someone who lives for the thrill of the fight, it's a hell of boredom."
"It sounds lonely, too," I murmured. Focusing, I managed to ignite a light on the tip of my finger. Slowly, deliberately, I dragged the point straight down, then curving upward. From there, I made a sharp right angle across the lines, and ended by placing a semicircle on the end. The rune hung in midair before flickering, and the bruising began to fade more rapidly.
"Whoa. On your first try?" Musashi leaned over.
"Felt that." Cu's eyes opened, and he gingerly sat up. "Whoa. I feel way better." He grinned at me. "Heh. Maybe I ought to have you at my bedside whenever I get injured." Then he winked.
Musashi giggled as my face heated up.
"Already?"
Scathach walked over, eyes narrowed.
"It's not fast. It took me about a minute to etch the rune for 'break', and all that did was remove the curse you placed. The rest is all him." I shrugged. "But yeah. I've spent eight years learning the language. It's just putting it on a new medium."
"That was definitely a rune," Cu mused. "Try with an illusion?"
I focused, and snapped my fingers. A glimmering line of text appeared for a split second, then scattered into particles of light.
As soon as they touched his body, Cu stood up. "Shit." He stared at me, wide-eyed.
"Faerie Runes address the World itself. They're a form of Marble Phantasm. On their own, they cannot approach True Magic, but when bound with intent into a set item, they can equal it with ease. That's the nature of Avalon, sheath of King Arthur, as well as her trusted blade." Scathach gave me a searching look. "How much mana did that take?"
"Not too much. Healing comes easy, to be honest. The only reason I didn't play nurse for Siegfried back in Orleans was because we were busy pressing our advantage on Prelati, and the worst was already past." I paused. "But it's definitely more than with the wand. That lets me streamline the process and prevent wasted mana."
Scathach crossed her arms. "I see. Your training will mostly deal with stamina, then. Tell me, which is more draining: the rune or the illusion of a rune?"
"The illusion." I flexed my hand. "Marble Phantasm… those can't affect things not of nature, right? But my runes can."
"Hence a form of it. They straddle the line between a Marble Phantasm and Reality Marble, but lack the overwhelming power and environmental change of the latter - unless bound to an object. Your hairpin, for example." Scathach nodded at the butterfly I'd pinned to the side of my head. "It allows for direct manipulation of four elements in their most classical sense. It doesn't allow use of related magecraft, but the precision and scale of the effects as well as their versatility make that redundant."
"Teacher, he's used his runes to create bounded fields. That's different from what you're saying, isn't it?" Cu crossed his arms, frowning slightly.
"And they played a part in opening a gate to Avalon - that's what that light was, wasn't it? When we fought Angra Mainyu?" Musashi leaned forward, putting her elbow on my shoulder.
"The latter is easily addressed. 'Avalon' is part of the World, albeit the Reverse Side. As he has a strong connection there, what 'nature' is capable of on his behalf encroaches on the esoteric. He still needs to bind the words to a physical medium to create a conceptual weapon. For the bounded field…" Scathach frowned.
"Well, I drew on Avalon itself to safeguard the observatory, and built it into the building itself. And for the one in Orleans, I worked off of Anastasia's existing territory to cut off the mana supply to the sea demons."
"Ah. It's indirect, but it counts." Scathach nodded. "By severing the mana of a summoned creature unable to live in the World from its summoner, it's forced to abide by the will of the World. To that end, it counts."
"Um?"
We turned to look.
Mash held her shield in a reverse grip, the top panel facing away from her as the elongated bottom pointed behind her. "Like this?"
A flicker of amusement passed across Scathach's face. "Yes, Mash." She glanced at me. "You can continue with self-study, but I will be making periodic checks on your progress. Should I notice an area you're deficient in, rest assured I will correct it."
I swallowed nervously as she walked away to correct my sister's stance and give pointers on her swings and follow-through.
"Huh. Guess you're further along than she thought," Cu mused, putting his elbow on my free shoulder.
"Ish? I still need to work on producing runes quickly without my wand." I cracked my knuckles. "Well, best get started." I frowned. "Crap."
"Hm?" Musashi blinked.
"Neither of you can tank my magecraft. I need Jeanne or Artoria to play target practice."
"Orrr you could practice support spells," Cu pointed out.
"But plague spells," I whined.
"That doesn't sound like Seelie magic to me." Cu lifted his elbow and put his hand on my head, mussing my hair. "And to be honest, the idea of you as a dark fairie scares me a little."
"That knife of his is already pretty suspect," Musashi grumbled. "Are you sure he's all the way to one side?"
"Look at him. Does this scream 'prince of dark and decay' to you?" Cu gently gripped my face in one hand, causing my lips to pucker.
Musashi giggled. "No, not really."
I swat them away. "Bleh. Bleeeh. Fine, I'll work on the buffs." I huffed. "Jerks."
Cu quickly kissed the side of my head. "Love you too," he said teasingly.
"Ah."
The three of us looked as Ritsuka stepped into the room.
"Matthew?"
I tilted my head.
"Senpai, what is it?" Mash looked concerned as Scathach held the shield up, paused mid-gesture at some detail of the handle.
"I've got some news."
Well that sounds ominous.
Fou crawled on his belly towards the door.
Ah. My, my.
Ritsuka took a deep breath and stepped closer, visibly steeling himself. "The… the magi and engineers delivered a petition to Doctor Roman yesterday. We've been trying to figure out how to tell you because it involves you."
I narrowed my eyes. "Uh-huh."
"Master."
We all looked to see Medusa walk into the room, smirking slightly.
She paused. "It can wait for a moment longer." Her expression fell from amused to concerned. "What's going on?"
Ritsuka took a breath. "The petition is for the next revival using the Shroud of Avalon."
Shit.
I rubbed my face with both hands. "Wodime."
"Ye-"
"They want fucking Wodime because they think he'll keep me on a shorter leash than you." A slight snarl entered my voice. "Fucking necessity."
Slowly, Ritsuka reached out and put a hand on my elbow.
I breathed in. Breathed out. "If we didn't need them happy and healthy, I'd just geas them into the ground for the temerity to even-" I cut myself off.
"It isn't an absolute. Depending on what we find in the next Singularity, we might have to prioritize another Master." Ritsuka's voice was soothing. "And even if he is the next to come back, you answer to me first. Any command he gives you goes through me." He paused.
Medusa stepped forward. "Who is 'Wodime'?"
Ritsuka opened his mouth.
"Marisbilly's chief lackey. The favored son, even if he's more adopted than anything." I snorted. "Really, if my head hadn't been up my own ass that would have been a major sign that Olga Marie wasn't nearly as bad as she tried to pretend. That, or we had enough common ground to coexist if I backed off a little."
"How so?" Ritsuka frowned.
"Kirschtaria was the heir to the Animusphere school of Astromancy, even though Olga Marie was the former Director's daughter," Mash said quietly. "Their relationship was never bad, but the former Director rarely spoke of her - and more often of him."
I scowled at the ground. "And now I need to bring him back instead of Olga. Damn it."
Medusa was quiet for a moment. "I see."
"You're over-worrying."
I narrowed my eyes at Scathach.
"Reviving him will be a net gain for your organization as a whole. If he was that high up, he can be put at a desk job and free up Roman and Da Vinci for other uses. He would likely have greater access to Chaldea's resources and could bring them to bear. In terms of drawbacks, Ritsuka is your Master. Not Kadoc, not the others, and not him. Unlike the other Servants, you aren't bound to obey his orders." Scathach placed a hand on her hip. "If this was some grand gambit to restrain your freedom, it failed miserably."
Cu gave a dark chuckle. "That's Teacher for you. She's got all kinds of skills - running organizations like she did her country, delegating and the like. She'll cut right to the heart of the matter, too." His smirk softened. "It's good to have you back."
"You said that earlier," Scathach accused, scowling.
Cu grinned. "Aye, but now you can't beat me over the head for being soft!"
The warrior woman scoffed. "Watch your step, Setanta."
I side-eyed him. "She can call you Setanta," I grumbled.
"She's my Teacher," he said simply. "You want to give me a nickname, come up with one yourself."
Medusa gave a warm chuckle. "So?"
Mash looked at me, then at where Fou had looped around and lay under Ritsuka's feet. "I think we're all good." She smiled a little.
"Don't get me wrong, this sucks," I complained. "But it's not a fight I need to pick." I stuck my tongue out, scrunching my eyes shut.
"Put that away before I decide to make use of it," Medusa said in a low, sultry tone.
I pulled my tongue back in and made an innocent expression.
Mash groaned. "Please don't say those sorts of things in front of me. He's my brother."
Musashi gave me a speculative look before turning red and turning away.
"You had something to say?" Scathach nodded at Medusa.
"Ah. There seems to be a small pseudo-Singularity forming that we need to take care of tomorrow." Medusa smiled a little. "Due to the nature of it, we've determined it's not a threat - but a Grail is there nonetheless, and obtaining it will help with our own goals."
"On Halloween? Really?" Ritsuka sighed.
"I never got to celebrate before," I mused. "Though that movie was pretty good."
"Movie?" Ritsuka turned to me.
"We watched 'Young Frankenstein', Senpai. It was really funny!" Mash brightened, smiling sunnily.
"Without me?" Cu made a mock-hurt expression.
"You were busy," Mash said dismissively. "Besides, we had fun with Sieg, Joan, and Astolfo."
"I thought it was gonna be a horror movie," Musashi admitted. "I gave Matthew my arm and everything!"
"You need to see my video game collection if you think I scare easily," I muttered.
"Put! The Candle! Back!" Mash enunciated before giggling.
"Frau Blucher," I deadpanned.
Musashi whinnied.
Ritsuka just stood there, looking lost.
"...now I wanna watch it, just so I can understand what the hell just happened," Cu muttered, bemused.
Medusa snorted. "Likewise." She smiled. "Also, I wouldn't worry about missing the festivities, given the nature of the mission."
"Huh?" Ritsuka blinked rapidly.
"Let's say that it's appropriate for the time of year… and familiar faces have been spotted." Medusa smiled a little. "Perhaps if it concludes early enough we can watch the movie."
Ritsuka relaxed a little. "Yeah. That sounds good." He smiled.
Scathach closed her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You're all going to be useless for the rest of the day. Fine, training's over. Out."
"Thank you for helping me with how to direct the shield." Mash gave a shallow bow.
"Yeah. I'll work on the rune stuff in my spare time - it'll be good if someone disarms me of the wand." I gave a sloppy salute.
Scathach exhaled lowly before smirking. "Noted. And dismissed."
We wandered out the door haphazardly, and in spite of the news Ritsuka brought… I was feeling pretty good. It probably had to do with the company.
Then a yowl of anguish echoed through the halls.
Ritsuka froze.
"Boss?" I asked.
"Senpai?" Mash blinked.
"Nobunaga did it." He hesitated. "I, uh. May not have gone out of my way to prevent it though."
"IT FREEZES AND IT BURNS! WHAT MAGECRAFT IS THIS!?"
For some reason I couldn't place, I smiled.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Higher!" The idol planted her hands on her hips.
"Sorry."
"I'm not sure how much higher it can go," the man in the flowing black coat mused. His long blond hair went past his shoulders, and his eyes were ringed by dark circles as he lightly tugged the rope.
"Don't worry, Liz. I'm sure it's well in view." Marie walked forward, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Elizabeth Bathory huffed. "It has to be perfect! All my fans are going to be here!"
"All… one? Possibly? Ow!" Mozart ducked as a bucket flew over his head.
"Be nice!" the Chevalier d'Eon scolded.
"It will be nice to properly meet the Chaldeans," the blond man said in a pleasant baritone. "And not as… that." His expression darkened momentarily.
"Sh, sh, sh. Happy thoughts," Liz counselled. "That was then, and we live in the now. This is what's truly important."
The man rolled his eyes. "I am Vlad III, little countess, not a fainting housewife."
"It's a shame that Atalanta and Lancelot couldn't make it," d'Eon mourned.
"A killjoy and a madman?" Mozart batted his eyes. "How tragic. Augh!"
That time, he had caught the broad side of a man's fist. The assailant, a white-haired gentleman clad in a suit, stepped forward. "Speak kindly of your comrades or not at all, composer," he scolded.
Mozart rubbed his cheek. "How barbaric. As expected of an executioner."
"That's enough!" Elizabeth crossed her arms. "We still have a million things-"
"About ten, actually," Vlad corrected her.
"A million things to do to get ready! I didn't get a chance to strut my stuff, so now's my chance! Siegfried, one last pull!"
The knight did as told, and the sign settled into place.
"Excellent! It's everything I'd hoped for!" Liz smiled brilliantly. "Now to set the stage!"
Marie giggled. "You heard the diva. Let's get to work!"
The other Servants made sounds of agreement with varying degrees of enthusiasm as they walked inside.
None of them noticed the figure that appeared.
"Will I find my Angel of Music…?" a shadow whispered as he gazed up at the sign.
Idol Duet at Castle Cachtice!
Elizabeth Bathory (and guest)'s Halloween Bash!
Elizabeth Bathory (and guest)'s Halloween Bash!
Of course it's time for Liz to bust some eardrums... the figure at the end though... Salieri or Phantom of the Opera are my only guesses
Tale Swapper
(Unverified Madman)
- Location
- Lost Among a Sea of Imaginings and Dreams
Aw, Matthew is growing up! Mama Morgan is sad, but them's the breaks of creating independent individuals.
...btw, is there any way we can make Scathach not-sad without killing her? I like her, and don't really want her to die.
Eh, that's a consideration for another time. First off, we have a concert to attend, a noble prince to awaken (with a kiss?) and a Bathomeloi's hopes and dreams to crush.
Hmm. For an event like this, what's appropriate? Popcorn, nachos, or booze?
...btw, is there any way we can make Scathach not-sad without killing her? I like her, and don't really want her to die.
Eh, that's a consideration for another time. First off, we have a concert to attend, a noble prince to awaken (with a kiss?) and a Bathomeloi's hopes and dreams to crush.
Hmm. For an event like this, what's appropriate? Popcorn, nachos, or booze?
I hope Wodime awakens right before the mission. It should be fun to see the facade of the proper Magi breaking fast.
Astolfo, Sieg, and Jeanne are tooth-achingly cute together.
- Location
- Not here
How did I fucking know you were going to update today?
Redsoff
[DETACHMENT]
- Location
- By [your] side
Definitely Phantom. The Angel of Music clinches it. Also he was at France.
Yeah. I'm also starting to worry about what could possibly require Romulus=Quirinus to appear so early. Because Morgan's lines regarding the "Greatest Version of the Founder" likely mean that.
- Location
- A beach
I've really enjoyed the singularities so far, but I won't lie; a comic relief chapter or two will be refreshing 
.
This might be a little weird, but I'm interested in what Wodime will do even outside of his relationship (or lack of one) with Matthew. How he'll talk to and assess Da Vinci and Romani's actions, how he'll handle the staff etc.
Also, I find empty nest syndrome Morgana to be very sad and very funny at the same time.
. This might be a little weird, but I'm interested in what Wodime will do even outside of his relationship (or lack of one) with Matthew. How he'll talk to and assess Da Vinci and Romani's actions, how he'll handle the staff etc.
Also, I find empty nest syndrome Morgana to be very sad and very funny at the same time.
ConfusedCanuck
Where did it all go wrong?
- Location
- Neverland
Welp I love the characterization of Scathach you have going a stern but fair and secretly caring teacher. Also Merlin being the Straight man is a terrifying thought and one I don't want to contemplate.