burningclaw2
The Power of the Tomato!
Do remember those are only 2 of the ingrediants his medicine needs.
Pretty sure there are plenty more than that.
I'm Not a Regular Mom (FGO OC)
- Thread starter Blinktwice13
- Start date
Pretty sure there are plenty more than that.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Yes, but those are the most important two, the two he absolutely can't do without. The others he should be able to procure either on his own or with aid from his fellow casters, or at least come up with substitutes.
- Location
- Indonesia
Yay no Alien God fuckery.
While their Lostbelt version might not be available, their Pan Human version still exists so Chaldea can summon them. For the Servants that exists, of course.
Zakara
Part-Time Heterodyne Specialty: Analysis
- Location
- Chaldea, Wandering Sea
That's... kinda what I was saying. For the majority of living people we meet in the Lostbelts that could qualify as Servants, there's Pan-Human counterparts to them that made it to the Throne of Heroes. Valkyrie has one, Liangyu has one, and Odysseus has one. There's one or two cases of Spirit Origin Contamination like Anastasia and Ashwatthama, but for the most part the Servants we summon have no memories or connections to their Lostbelt counterparts.
The Kings are the exception. They are [Alternate Versions] completely removed from their Pan-Human selves. Ivan never turned into a giant mammoth. Scathach was never possessed by Skadi. Huang Di never became immortal. Arjuna never absorbed the entire Hindu Pantheon. What's more, aside from Ivan they remember their Lostbelts and conflicts with Ritsuka clearly. Which doesn't happen with anyone else. They are Remnants of their Lostbelts, and the specific versions that we summon have no Pan-Human counterparts beyond their original templates.
Honestly Morgana tricking the World into letting her pop back in isn't really that much of a stretch.
I remember there being something about an Age of Fae existing between the Age of Gods and the Age of Humanity... only no one remembers such a thing and by all accounts it never happened to humanity. If the Fae can make an entire Age vanish from all perception then the Queen of the Fae seems like she should have no issue just walking back into existence.
... Also throwing around shards of frozen time as weapons when?
And yeah, figured that was Scathach. She and Merlin specifically exist in places outside of Alaya and Gaia... tbh, Morgana should as well, but the Fae appear to have pulled an entire Age into their bolthole and closed the door into non-existence so who knows. *Shrug*
I remember there being something about an Age of Fae existing between the Age of Gods and the Age of Humanity... only no one remembers such a thing and by all accounts it never happened to humanity. If the Fae can make an entire Age vanish from all perception then the Queen of the Fae seems like she should have no issue just walking back into existence.
... Also throwing around shards of frozen time as weapons when?
And yeah, figured that was Scathach. She and Merlin specifically exist in places outside of Alaya and Gaia... tbh, Morgana should as well, but the Fae appear to have pulled an entire Age into their bolthole and closed the door into non-existence so who knows. *Shrug*
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
So he remembers Medea sacrificing him to summon True Assassin in his body, his flesh and soul literally consumed by True Assassin as he does his very best chestburster impersonation.
Poor bastard, I bet that memory sucks, and the present incarnation of Medea doesn't remember doing that for extra misunderstandings.
(Medusa, of course, only remembers the most horriblest route, because she isn't allowed to have nice things.)
Ivan is a goddamn ice giant and that is all that needs to be said upon the matter.
From El-Melloi Case Files IIRC, the Age of Faeries came after the Age of Gods and before the Age of Humanity.
And that is about the sum total of knowledge about the Age of Faeries: It happened, then it ended, Faeries were involved.
e: Merlin specifically notes that the Age of Faeries has recently ended in Garden of Avalon, which is set around ~500 AD during Artoria's rule.
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Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sasaki will probably tell her at some point. Even as she is, Medea will probably go 'oops'.
So for Medusa, even though she isn't a long-term LI, she will have a decent time of it here.
Matthew left his education skewed to the modern out of spite at Chaldea, so he's going in blind on most non Arthurian subjects. He's not stupid, just ignorant.
This means a somewhat unbiased young man with a huge crush that can crank out Mystic Eye Killer contacts that don't need changing and can be deactivated at will over the course of a few lazy afternoons. (That's not even foreshadowing, it's just gonna happen.)
-reads about Age of Faeries-
Oh boy, I love gaping holes in lore! That's the best place to write fic!
This is also the one where she gets to actually be Sakura's Servant rather than Shinji's, and where Sakura scores Shirou, and gets to live with them after the Grail War (provided the Good/True End happens). So, actually bestest route for her (and Sakura, which makes itbest route for Rider).
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
Oh sure it's the best route long-term but holy damn does she have to go through some shit to get there, which is saying a lot given some of Shinji's implied actions in all three routes.
Servant incarnations are just that; incarnations. They have a very different view on life and death than us mortals. For a normal human, dying is the last thing they'll ever do. For a Servant, dying is Tuesday.
Rogue Gemini
Wanderer without a Twin
- Location
- Here
Another one to pin to my notifcations list! I'm just hoping that I won't experience a [DATA LOST]....
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Put plainly, it's gonna be an open relationship so expect flirting when certain characters show up. And, uh, allusions. Yeah.
I'm trying a new thing, we'll see how it works!
Neruz
Rogue Spiderbanana
- Location
- The Land of Fire and Poison
Any relationship involving the Hound of Ulster is inevitably going to be rather more open and liberal than usual for modern sensibilities. That's just how the Celts rolled; as long as you could figure out how to have sex with something then it was fair game as far as the Celts were concerned.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I'm a bit disappointed that Emiya was one of the first Servants summoned. Should have summoned Kirei first, to have him work his magic and blind Corrupted Emiya with rage so Caster Cu can deal with him easy...
And then, of course, when Emiya is summoned to Chaldea, Kirei greets him with his famous line. The look on Emiya's face when he realizes that, to help save the world, he'll have to work with Kirei of all people...
And then, of course, when Emiya is summoned to Chaldea, Kirei greets him with his famous line. The look on Emiya's face when he realizes that, to help save the world, he'll have to work with Kirei of all people...
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm not a huge Kirei fan, so don't expect him to be summoned too soon. Or at all if I can't find a valid reason to, depending on how I make the singularities go.
Complex and compelling character? For some, maybe. But also the kind the OC would try to launch through the roof (to varying levels of success).
Chapter is slowly being written despite work slowly draining my soul and the other fun aspects of Current Events. Probably won't be ready until this weekend at the earliest.
Complex and compelling character? For some, maybe. But also the kind the OC would try to launch through the roof (to varying levels of success).
Chapter is slowly being written despite work slowly draining my soul and the other fun aspects of Current Events. Probably won't be ready until this weekend at the earliest.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
NOBODY who plays FGO is a Kirei fan. We're all sick of those shirtless CEs, Black Keys, and endless plates of mapo tofu. If he ever actually becomes summonable in-game, expect everyone who pulls him to burn him at least once.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Yeah Kirei is, narratively speaking, the same problem as Avengers and other "evil" servants times eleven. You either have to make the narrative around fixing their unique issues before doing much else, or crimp the amount of blowup they cause and accept the artificiality.
Nah, my hatred pretty much all springs of Fate and Fate/Zero Fake Priest... Alright, with that scene at the start of the Lostbelts reminding me too of why, just like Shinji, he looks at his best when he's very, very dead.
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Only FSN Shinji. CCC Shinji is only an 8-year old kid, and he deserves great respect for what he managed to do to Meltryllis. But FSN Shinji... yeah, pretty much everyone cheered when Medusa destroyed his statue in First Order.
In Which There is Jolly Escalation
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
A/N: So there's a few content warnings. For the minor, there's some very mild spice with Medusa, somewhat heavier with Cu later. The bit with Cu starts at 'Desktop: check' and continues to the end of that segment. It's not particularly lore-important so can be safely skipped if it's not your taste. It's more romantic and there's nothing that I'd call sex, but fair warning that it's a fade-to-black scene.
Content Warning: Character death, mild gore, body horror, eldritch things. Entire next-to-last segment. Begins with 'Splish. Splish.' in italics. This is important to the story, as it establishes what happened alongside the segment immediately prior. It will become readily apparent why certain characters aren't showing up at this point.
______________________________________________________
Anastasia hovered as the medic examined Kadoc for any lingering injuries. To be honest, I wasn't sure there wouldn't be - the Shroud of Avalon was made to undo maiming and other catastrophic damage, not papercuts.
Kadoc, on his part, put up with the pokes and prods in the hospital gown. His tattered clothes were on the floor, and he looked slightly uncomfortable with the Russian royal so close when all he had was a paper sheet with thread tying it in the back.
"Right, so you two should leave for the last few parts of the checkup," the medic said. He was a guy in his late twenties or early thirties, if I had to guess. I didn't know his name, and he wasn't looking at me directly so I figured it'd be a waste of time to try and make friends.
"Meaning…?" I crossed my arms.
"Meaning you probably want to go get Mr. Zemlupus some clothes from his quarters before I make sure he doesn't have testicular cancer and there's no lingering damage."
I grimaced as I squeezed my legs together. "Didn't think about that. Didn't need to think about that."
Kadoc, for his part, had gone very, very pale. "I- I'd have noticed if there was damage right?"
Anastasia had already left the room.
"You had compound fractures on both of these limbs and damage to your face, so it's not unreasonable that the soft tissue-" the guy began.
"How about we not complicate the trauma he's already experienced and any further tests can be chalked up to 'just in case', hm?" I managed to force out.
Kadoc shot me a grateful look.
"You asked." The guy shrugged. "We've got the blood for the bloodwork, your reflexes, breathing, and blood pressure are fine. After this it's the X-Ray and you're set." He managed to glance in my direction. "At which point he'll definitely need his clothes, because those aren't going to be much help."
I looked at the pile of rags on the ground. "Right."
"You remember where my room is?" Kadoc asked.
I'd been there a few times, mostly when Kadoc wanted to introduce me to some new music. Hm…
Plotting something?
Not complex enough to qualify as a plot or plan. Just thinking.
"I do," I answered after a moment. "Between Pepe's and Wodime's, yeah?"
"Right, and across from Ophelia's," Kadoc confirmed in a relieved tone. "From here you ought to be able to get there and back by the time we're done."
I tapped my greaves. "Even without these, I'm a full-time Servant. Don't sell me that short, man."
He chuckled. "Good point. Anastasia's outside, so she'll probably tag along."
I went for the door as I heard the fluttering of the gown, quickly opening and closing it.
"Cold hands!" Kadoc yelped as the door shut.
I looked heavenward. "Poor guy," I muttered.
"Because he's being manhandled?" Anastasia asked in an arch tone as she re-materialized, her doll in her arms.
"Because he got blown to hell, which is why this is required. That, and I don't think it's hit that his closest friends here are on ice because if they weren't they'd be dead." I exhaled. "Anyway, walk and talk. I want him to have his clothes when we're done so I can get him to the cafeteria and get some food in him."
Anastasia kept a sedate pace as we began to walk, which was still at a clip a normal human would struggle to match.
"So tell me… how much hope does Chaldea have of accomplishing whatever mission you're setting out on?" Anastasia's tone was cool, distant.
"It varies. Our odds went up a lot when the Shroud worked on Kadoc. We have some powerful Servants to start, and Archaman and Da Vinci are competent enough to hold down the fort. Ritsuka passed a trial by fire, as did Mash. That said, I haven't heard anything about finding one of these 'Singularities' yet - which could just be Archaman not deigning to tell me. Though I don't think he'd keep it from Ritsuka, and I know he'd find me to fill me in." I shrugged. "Past that, I'm looking at options to defend this place better."
"Such as?"
"Well, putting our territory creation skills to work, for one. Obscuring Chaldea is theoretically possible if I draw on a mix of that and my Faerie Runes. We'd be able to see out, but nobody would see in. Maybe."
"You think they're capable of that? The enemy?" The white-clad Caster's expression didn't change, but she began to bear an air of apprehension.
"I think I'd rather be safe than sorry. The better anchors I have, the better territory I can make. I might have to construct certain things, but I should be able to block out most forms of surveillance." I stopped in front of a door in the residential area. Kadoc's name was etched in English on a plate next to it. "And here we are."
"How strong a defense are you considering?" Anastasia asked as I opened the door.
"As strong as I can get. I've drawn up a few blueprints in my spare time, and having a tool to etch the runes makes it easier to do." I tapped the wand on my left hip. "I just need Da Vinci to look over them and give her seal of approval before she pitches them to Archaman."
"She knows the function of your mysteries?" Anastasia made one of her first expressions since I'd met her - polite bafflement - as we stepped into Kadoc's room. "I thought such a thing was frowned upon."
"Less that she's pried into them and more that she trusts I know how my kit works. And- oh geez." I sighed. "Let's see if there's clean clothes."
Kadoc wasn't that much older than me, and the room screamed 'bachelor pad'. Well, to a stereotype of one, at least. There were the usual aspects: the 'clean clothes' chair, the 'dirty clothes' pile on the floor, the desktop in the corner… that said, there was a surprising lack of incriminating evidence.
...I would never forget the one time I snuck into Da Vinci's room and found her 'stash'. Turns out her decision to chase her dreams and attain her ultimate form hadn't changed her choice in reading material. Some of it was… informative… but just as much was flat-out traumatizing.
"I'm surprised that the doors unlock for just anyone," Anastasia noted as she gently opened the dresser. "Hm. a 'hoodie'..."
"They don't, actually. The locks are biometric, but IDs can be entered and taken pretty easily by the room owner. Kadoc enjoyed his quiet time, so not many had his."
"Then why do you?" Anastasia held up the dark article of clothing before tucking it under her arm. The doll floated in the air silently.
"...well…" I frowned as I held up a mp3 player with earbuds attached. With a thought, I changed back to my normal clothes and pocketed it. Note: downside of armor is no pockets. Da Vinci continues to be a genius by putting them in her dress, somehow.
"One would assume such a gesture to be between siblings, or close friends." Anastasia's tone was pointed.
Well, in most cases the biometrics were there for quiet in-and-outs. The last thing anyone wanted was to be alerted to a walk of shame by lots of beeping and clunking. Definitely wasn't the case for Kadoc and I, though.
"It took me a while to admit that I cared for him as much as I do," I muttered. "I'm gonna just assume he didn't have my hangups but didn't want to freak me out by making a big deal about it."
"So friends, then?"
"Yeah."
Anastasia gave an irritated huff. "Curses. If you were his lover you could at least tell me where he keeps his undergarments. These 'jeans' feel comfortable enough but the idea of them abrading sensitive areas is horrifying."
I couldn't help the slight choking noise I made.
My, my! The imp rears her head early!
"Uh, let me check." I wandered to the dresser, sidestepping the relatively large pile of clothing. "He really needs to do his laundry."
"Perhaps I shouldn't judge, given we had maids to do such things," Anastasia mused. She'd gotten a t-shirt, hoodie, and jeans together.
...there was one drawer unopened.
"Anastasia."
"Hmm?"
"Did you check the last drawer? The topmost one?"
"I'm too short to reach it with my little arms." She gave a slow blink.
Oh that's just bullshit.
Hmm. Perhaps she warmed early thanks to the presence of multiple life-saving contingencies? Normally she does the ice princess bit a while longer, until she's certain her compatriots will survive…
I sighed and opened the drawer. Yep. Boxers and socks. I pulled out a pair of socks and the underwear.
"And we're set," I said, turning around. Anastasia promptly dumped the clothes she was carrying on me.
"These shoes look moderately clean." She picked up a pair from near the closet, artfully dodging the chaos on the floor. "Now we are 'set', as you say." The doll landed in the crook of her free arm.
I shuffled the undergarments into the stack of clothes and made for the door. "Let's be on our way. I'm sure Kadoc's in danger of catching a chill at this point."
"The exam room did seem rather drafty," Anastasia agreed in a solemn tone. "Especially given how cold the examiner's hands were- according to Master, at least."
Goddamn. Kadoc was going to have his hands full.
Oh, that wasn't her. It was chilly in there.
Not what I meant, but good to know.
We made our way through the empty halls.
"...it is rather abandoned," Anastasia murmured as we made it back to medbay.
"Yeah. A lot of people died, hard. There's a few more survivors but we don't know when they'll recover enough to help. Right now we have a comparatively small crew." I shook my head as I opened the door. "Just gotta make do with what we have."
Kadoc sat on the exam table with a mildly violated look on his face.
"Thought it was just an x-ray?" I asked.
"That was fine. The other part of the exam is something no man enjoys," he replied tiredly.
I dropped the clothes next to him. "You can probably get away with changing in the specimen collection antechamber."
He looked at me expectantly.
"Ugh. Fine. The 'glorified outhouse'."
He cracked a small grin. "That's more like you. And here I was, scared that Roman might have finally managed to teach you manners."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," I called as he took the clothes into the adjacent room.
"You being a snarky bastard is one of the highlights of working here," Kadoc retorted. "If you ever go totally soft on us I'll start having trouble telling you from Mash." The door closed before I could flip him off.
"Mash is the girl with the shield, yes?" Anastasia asked.
"She is. We're siblings, but we take after the Heroic Spirits bound into our bodies."
"Which ones?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I have theories about Mash's, but nothing too concrete. He's a Knight of the Round, but I know for sure which ones he's not. I don't think Gawain, Agravain, or Gareth would attack me on sight. Mordred, I dunno. The rest…"
"Meaning yours is the famed Enchantress of the Isles, Morgan Le Fay," Anastasia concluded.
"Yeah. So Medea said something about you being a Tsar's daughter? Is that royalty?" Yeah. Change the subject!
She stared. "You do not know who I am."
Uh. "Anastasia Romanov? I think?"
"...by all that is holy." She took a deep breath. "I am Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, Grand Duchess of Russia and youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. He was the last sovereign of Imperial Russia. My family and I were executed in our home during the Bolshevik revolution. Upon the brink of death, I contracted Viy, my familiar, and so our legends became one." She swallowed. "We died in captivity, my parents, siblings, and I. Viy's power lies in his eyes, which expose secrets, find points of weakness, and destroy enemies. He is a familiar of Russia but can only be attuned to one with the right capabilities. I only qualified as I bled out."
"Oh." I rubbed my arm.
"It was thought that I had survived for a time, but later evidence disproved that. And now you know who I am."
I looked away.
"Tell me, what is the cause of your ignorance?" Anastasia's bearing was cold, regal. Whatever thawing that had seemed to occur reverted.
"Spite." I looked her in the eye. "Chaldea made my sister and I. We had many siblings, but only we survived the experiments. Out of the two of us, only my patron communed with me and granted me power on a regular basis. The administrator of the organization focused on the past as a source of power, so I turned my education to the present as much as I could."
For a moment, there was silence.
"Hm. Heh." Anastasia's laugh was small and bitter. "Spite against your tormentors. I suppose I can respect such a motive." Her gaze returned to being impassive. "A word of caution, however. You will be introduced to many from the past, with pain of their own. If you aren't aware, they may not be forgiving of your ignorance. The world is cold and cruel outside these walls, just as it is inside. Do not let your defiance lead to your downfall."
The door slowly opened, and Kadoc peered out. "...you guys okay?" he asked cautiously.
"All is well for the moment," Anastasia replied in a haughty tone.
I looked at him. "Yeah, it's fine. Clothes still a good fit?"
"It's been a week. Somehow I don't think I put on weight in cryosleep." Kadoc stepped out into the examination room.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah… oh!" I reached into my pocket and pulled out the MP3 player. "Here, I picked this up for you."
Kadoc's concern faded a little as he smiled. "Thanks." He took it and placed it in his own pocket.
A harsh rumble filled the room.
Anastasia and I stared as Kadoc flushed. "Uh."
"Perhaps we should escort Master to the cafeteria?" Anastasia proposed. She shifted Viy in her arms. "Before he wastes away."
"Oh come on," Kadoc grumbled. "Matthew's bad enough, not you too!"
"Bold words for a man who just had his ass hanging out for all to see," I sniped.
Kadoc went scarlet. "I did not! The gown was tied shut, I was sure of it!"
Anastasia gave me a sideways glance.
Oh?
"Do not fear, Master. It was a perfectly acceptable view."
Kadoc let out a tremulous wheeze as the flush spread over his ears and down his neck.
My, my!
...why didn't you warn me about Anastasia!?
You have to learn to stand on your own sometime! Also she was less likely to experiment on you than Medea was.
What!?
Don't worry about it!
I slung an arm up and around Kadoc's shoulders. "Well, let's get some food in him before we kill his appetite from mortification," I chirped forcefully.
Anastasia gave an elegant shrug. "I haven't familiarized myself with the area. Lead away."
Kadoc let out a soft groan of embarrassment as I gently herded him out of medbay.
____________________________________________________________________________
I set the tray in front of Kadoc. "Emiya said it's something called 'onigiri'. I'm not a hundred percent sure what that is, but everything he's ever made has been fantastic so it should be fine."
"It's riceballs. They're from Japan," Kadoc explained before shoving one in his mouth and chomping down. "Mmph."
Anastasia peered at the food as it vanished down the hungry Master's gullet. "Oh."
"You want any? Full Servants can eat, they just don't need to. I think?" I shrugged and set my own tray down. "Anyways, I still have a human body to support so…"
"These are good? Like, really good. I know they're nothing special but-" Kadoc peered at the filling inside a bitten onigiri. "...screw it." He downed the rest of the food before grabbing another one.
"Hey there, Kadoc." Ritsuka slid into the seat next to him, so I shrugged and claimed my own bench. Mash wandered around and got the last empty one.
Kadoc swallowed. "Ritsuka, right? Sorry I didn't stick around to chat more."
Ritsuka waved his hand. "It's fine! How was the checkup? No lingering injuries?" A concerned expression crossed his face.
"None at all. Just my pride." Kadoc slumped. "But that's par for the course."
"Pinch him or he'll start self-flagellating again," I said flatly before taking a bite of my food.
Ohgodsavorytastyyes.
"To be fair, I don't think anyone saw Lev coming," Ritsuka consoled him, patting his back.
Kadoc sighed. "Not what I meant, but I appreciate the sentiment." He gave a wry smile. "So how've the Kyrielights been treating you?"
"Mash is really good to have around. She's been a big help keeping me safe and helping me settle in. Matthew's been good for morale, mostly."
Kadoc gave me a disbelieving look.
"Hey, I can be nice!" I scowled. "...there were five riceballs a second ago."
Anastasia took a dainty bite before blinking in surprise as she swallowed. "This is good."
Mash giggled behind her hand.
"Seriously, though. He's been hard at work on that Shroud, and helping with suggestions here and there. I look forward to whatever he comes up with for me to use." Ritsuka smiled at me.
Lots of wards, passive ones. Healing spells too, because I just know he's going to jump in to save someone. Maybe a spiritron steroid deployment? Amplify output for target agility and strength… maybe a mana booster put in as well…
"Excuse me?"
I blinked and looked up.
Medusa loomed over me, the mask across her eyes keeping me from reading her expression too well.
"And this is?" Anastasia asked.
"Oh, this is Medusa. She's a Rider." I smiled.
Anastasia gave me a long look. "And that is the sum total of your knowledge."
"...yes?"
Medusa paused. "What?"
Kadoc looked at me. "What?"
I stared back. "What?"
Mash dropped her forehead onto the table.
There was a soft chewing sound. "Fou! I was gonna eat that!" Naturally, the little monster ran with the riceball in his mouth.
I sighed. At least I got three?
"Ah… well. I wanted to speak with you about something."
Kadoc raised his eyebrows as I looked back up. "Yeah?"
"...there's a request I'd like to make." Medusa shifted. "Chaldea has an ample library, or so I'm told."
I perked up. "Yeah, there's some neat books in there. Do you need help finding it?" I frowned. "Wait, you've been here a week and nobody's shown you there?"
"There's a different issue at hand. I cannot read with Breaker Gorgon in place, and without it those around me are in peril."
Hm… Wait. "Oh, you have Mystic Eyes!" I punched my palm. "Like Phamrsolone! Oh, that makes way more sense than you wearing that thing just because! It's a Mystic Eye Killer!" I waved my hand. "Sure, sure. Just get me some contacts and with my new inscriber, I can rune them up so they'll be useful around here. Heck, I can probably install a function to turn them on and off, and a self-moisturizing function…" I trailed off. "Anyway. Compared to other things, it's pure runework. I wouldn't even need anything past a basic bounded field. And the lenses."
Medusa paused. "Really?" She leaned forward. "You would just… do this for me?"
I shivered as her dress brushed my sweater-clad arm. "Uh. Yes?" I swallowed. "It's not like you've been any bother to me or whatever, and you seem nice enough."
Ritsuka dropped his face into his hands as Kadoc let out a long sigh.
Medusa slid into the seat next to me, and gently took one of my hands in hers. "Then I deeply appreciate the offer," she purred. "I'm certain I can find some way to express my gratitude." She paused. "Though I may need to discuss it with your paramour at first."
...hold up.
Ritsuka went scarlet, Mash began to babble frantically, Kadoc looked like he was about to choke, and Anastasia stared at me like a particularly fascinating and shiny bug.
"W-w-wait! If you mean- well I'm not- it should be if-" What? What?
YES YES YES YES
"Rest assured, it would be no burden on me." Medusa gave a small smile. "You're far from subtle. And, if Cu Chulainn is to be believed, rather adorable." The smile turned predatory. "The lenses are more of a standalone request."
Hello, yes officer, I'd like to report a murder-
"'Scuse me."
I let out an undignified squawk as I was scooped up from my seat and dropped back down onto a lap.
"So I couldn't help but overhear," Cu rumbled, his chest flush against my back as he hooked his chin over my shoulder. "It seemed like the kind of conversation I should be involved in."
Medusa swung her legs onto my lap, pinning me in place as she scooted closer. "I suppose you have a point."
Oh god I can't breathe.
"Th-this! Public! No!" Mash stammered out.
Kadoc turned to Ritsuka. "Is this normal? Does this just happen, now?"
"N-not really." Ritsuka covered his eyes. "This is. Ah. New."
I shivered as Cu gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "You good?" he murmured.
"I could use a little space." I swallowed, hard.
Medusa swung her legs down, and I sprang out of Cu's lap. I looked down at them both.
"I'm gonna go get to work on those lenses. You guys, uh. Have a nice lunch."
I blocked out the chatter at the table as I marched away, rubbing my face with my hands.
...damn it, I left my tray behind.
I slumped against the wall near… where was I? I looked around. Oh, admin.
...are you alright?
Yeah, I'm good. It was just a lot at once, and I needed to get out. I wasn't paying a lot of attention, were-?
Cu Chulainn seemed more aggrieved on your behalf than anything and Medusa wasn't bothered. The rest were in varying stages of shock, save for Anastasia. I think she found it more entertaining than anything.
So I didn't leave a total disaster behind.
No darling, you didn't.
I exhaled. "Okay." Maybe I could do the lenses before I started on Ritsuka's mystic code.
So you're thinking about it?
The lenses don't cost me anything and get me goodwill with an ally; they were never off the table. The sex… that I'm going to wait on.
True, true. Cu did get there first, after all. I could just imagine Morgan's little smile.
Yeah. ...think he'd be down for-?
Oh, darling. The Celts were known for an insatiable appetite; I'd be shocked and scandalized if he did anything other than carry you to her chambers.
...good to know. But, uh. Him first, I think. And I'd need to talk to Medusa-
Seeing how little you pay attention to, I don't doubt the two of them have already engaged each other. Possibly twice, at this point, but definitely once.
Oh. Oh! Then it's fine.
You aren't upset? Her tone was curious, testing the waters.
I mean, no? He was pretty open about what to expect. This is kind of exactly what he was offering.
There was a mental sigh of relief. Of course.
And I mean. I'm pretty on board with it.
Hm?
...Morgan, I was raised by you and Da Vinci. What are you expecting, here?
Bell-like laughter rang through my head. Oh, it hurts but it's true! I wonder how poor Roman will handle it when he pieces it all together?
I shrugged as I stood.
Well, as soon as there's more than three people willing to sleep with me at once, I'm gonna find Marisbilly's room, bust down the door, and get to work enthusiastically desecrating his bed. I bet the bastard was the type to have like… an emperor-size bed and keep it to himself.
There was a faint choking sound. What?
Go big or go home!
No dear, I mean wha-
It's fine!
____________________________________________________________________________
Da Vinci was clearly in her element when I found her. Her hands flew across the keyboard, and screens flickered on and off the display before her.
...interrupting seemed like a bad idea.
"Matthew?" Oh. Yay. "Do you need something?"
I turned, and- "Archaman, have you slept?"
The doctor gave a haggard grimace, the bags under his eyes pronounced. "I may have had a few hours last night."
"Is there anything you can delegate? Because burning the candle at both ends isn't sustainable, and we need a human to sign the paperwork for when this clusterfuck is over." I crossed my arms.
Archaman sighed. "Can I help you?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I was going to bother Da Vinci for a few things, but she's kind of…"
Da Vinci muttered venomously as several screens shut and a new one opened, a cursor zipping over a global map.
"In the zone."
"That she is." Archaman put his hands in his pockets. "Depending on expenditures, I might be able to vet them myself. Come on over and I'll take a look."
I glanced at him. "Sure. And you'll look into delegating?"
He shrugged. "I've already got all five of my people manning the medbay and the Rayshift experts at their stations. I'm not sure what else I can drop." He gave a slight smile. "Do me a favor and keep it from Mash and Ritsuka, will you?"
I narrowed my eyes. "How about I do that provisionally. As in, you take what care of yourself you can, and I only get them involved if you're at visible risk."
"Heh. That's… pretty fair, actually." I followed Archaman into his office, and he collapsed into his chair behind his desk. "So. What is it you're looking to do?"
I set a sheaf of papers in front of him. "I don't know how much you'll be able to put together, but I want to inscribe runes at several key points throughout the observatory to set up a territory. With the right words and drawing on sufficient mana, I should be able to add another layer of security to what we have."
Archaman picked up the papers and began looking through them. "What are we talking about, exactly?"
"Aside from reinforcing the defenses already in place, I want to use some of the runes from Morgan's diadem to occlude the goings-on in Chaldea. By mixing them with runes for illusion, I should be able to mimic a sort of video-feed-loop effect that will keep anyone spying on us from seeing our more sensitive stuff." I paused. "Though in all fairness, if the enemy has a method for seeing us this far, they already know about Kadoc."
"They?" Archaman looked up.
"Lainur mentioned a 'king'. He's not in charge, he's a vanguard. Whatever or whoever is trying to turn human history to ash is several orders higher." I frowned. "Nobody's stupid enough to leave a remnant like us unobserved, and if I hadn't been so focused on helping the members of A-Team that I care for, I would have priortized this. With the Shroud out of the way, we need to get some sort of information security up. What happens if we get a truly legendary Servant, stronger than any we have? Or one of us Casters makes a breakthrough? The last thing we need is Lainur and his compatriots coming down on us like a ton of shit because we became a concrete threat to their goals." I rubbed my cheek with my palm. "Also, we need to anchor this place dimensionally. No teleporting in or out except through Rayshifting. Lainur got out somehow, and I don't want to risk funny business."
I looked up to see Archaman giving me a level look. He inhaled deeply, and closed his eyes. "What will you need for this?"
"Ideally, stone or ice from the local area. I should be able to simulate the erection of a Fairy Mound by binding them into Chaldea's structures. It'll take me half a week, assuming I keep something like a work-life balance, or if I go a full twenty-four hours working and crash after… well, that."
Archaman looked down at the papers. "...you make several salient points. I'll get Da Vinci to begin procuring materials. Depending on…" He sighed. "If we come across a singularity, I'll ask you to do the rush job so you can have the day of rest before deployment. We can't leave this place undefended. If not, you have the week."
I nodded. "Right. Well, I can get it done-"
"You'll have the week," Archaman repeated with a little smile. "I assume you have other projects?"
Mystic codes, mystic eye killers… yeah.
"Well, I just need a pair of contacts. No prescription required."
"For?" Archaman crossed his arms.
"I want to enchant mystic eye killers for Medusa. Apparently she misses reading, and giving Servants room to relax-"
"Done. I have some expendable sets in my office down in medical. I'll walk you there and hand them off."
I blinked. "Oh. Okay."
Archaman shrugged. "I'm not unreasonable, Matthew. I know we haven't seen eye to eye on things in the past, but I'm not going to dismiss a good idea when it comes from you. We've never been enemies - at least on my part."
I stood up. "So how about those contacts?"
Archaman gave a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, I pushed too hard. Well, that's my fault. Shall we?"
I started walking, but paused as I passed a small dish. I plucked a piece of candy out.
"Ah, you won't like that." Archaman rushed over and pulled out a different one. "Here, I think this is more your taste."
Grudgingly, I took it and put the other back. I unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth.
Archaman gave an expectant look.
"...it's good," I grumbled.
He beamed.
____________________________________________________________________________
"-and take it right to her, okay?"
Fou stared up at me.
"You owe me for that rice ball." I planted a fist on my hip, holding the container out to Fou.
He licked his chops impassively.
I sighed. "Please?"
He gingerly took the contact lens case from my hand and bolted.
Minutes later, I received a note sent back with Fou.
"Thank you. I'll see you around," I read aloud. A small heart was scribed under it. I smiled at Fou, squat down, and scritched behind his ears. "Thanks, buddy."
"Fou!" He leaned into my nails, and after a moment turned and wandered off.
With a groan I stood up and pressed my hands against my lower back. "Yeah. Time for me to call it a day." My room wasn't far, so I wandered there and opened the door.
Desktop, check. Closet, check. Dresser, check. Bathroom door, slightly ajar. Cu Chulainn, on my bed wearing nothing but sweatpants and rocking a six-pack wait what.
"Uh. Hi." I shut the door behind me.
He smirked. "So I had a nice talk with Medusa."
"Oh, cool. I think she likes the contacts." I rubbed my arm nervously.
"Need me to put a shirt on?" Cu sat up until he was upright, legs crossed.
"No. No, this is fine." I coughed, then squinted at his stomach. "Wait, your hair's really blue? For real?"
He gave a slow, hungry smile.
"You know what, nevermind. I'll find out sooner than later."
His smile brightened. "Really, then? I've been doing my best to wait, but you don't make it easy."
I felt myself blush a little. "Yeah, well, don't expect me to go the full hundred yards tonight. I'm tired. But let's say your argument's pretty persuasive."
Cu Chulainn snorted in amusement. "If it was a hundred yards I'd kill anyone I slept with."
"I mean, there's alternatives." I moved my eyebrows up-and-down.
He threw his head back in a booming, amused laugh. "Bold! I like it!" He grinned.
I dropped onto the bed. "...so what do you mean I don't make it easy? It's not like I've been going out of my way to tease you or anything." I kicked my shoes off.
Cu put his feet on the floor and pressed his arm to my shoulder. "You're a handsome lad, I'm a man of taste. Unfortunately, not much of one for restraint when the object of my attentions is fairly ever-present, but I think I've done alright."
I leaned on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth. "Yeah. I'd apologize for making you wait, but-"
"Nah. Move at your own pace, I can find fun in more than one spot around here. We'll make our own time together." His smile gentled and he leaned down. "So?"
I swallowed nervously. "Right. Okay. Uh, apologies in advance for any awkwardness or, you know."
"Being a virgin isn't a crime, you know. And in case you forget, I've got quite a bit of experience on me." Cu Chulainn put his hand on the back of my neck, gently stroking upwards to cup the back of my head. He leaned in, and pressed his lips to mine. They were soft, to my surprise, and it felt- good. His breath on my face, his lips moving gently, his hand stroking my hair, all of it. After a few moments, he drew back. "I'm curious, though. You sure you don't want to invite Medusa?"
"You were here first, so I want to give you first dibs."
He looked oddly touched. "Is that so," he murmured softly.
"After, though… think you guys could agree to share for a night? Or two?"
And that decided it. "Oh, I'd be more than happy to." Cu Chulainn's eyes blazed as all restraint fell away. "Hah! I knew you were a man after my own heart!" He slid a hand under my sweater and shirt, across my stomach, and-
Some things are better left private.
____________________________________________________________________________
Da Vinci glanced at the blueprints, then at her screen. The Singularities were being hidden. Quite well, too. However! She was the omnipotent genius of her time, and with the right tools she could unravel any answer.
For example: when she had the calibrations for a subset of illusions right in her face, and the ability to see patterns.
Now, the illusions guarding the closest Singularity to them were of a different cast, but still very much of the same school. To that end, someone with similar training to Matthew had put them in place, likely at the behest of whoever was pulling Lev's strings.
"And with a simple flourish…" Da Vinci murmured.
She put in the data, and ran the simulation.
The clouds parted, and the first Singularity was revealed.
"Oh. That's unpleasant." She hummed. "Better tell Romani!"
____________________________________________________________________________
"Quickly! Into the castle!" the blonde-haired Ruler cried out, waving her flag and letting the brilliant light guide the people in. Her violet clothes stood out, and her silver armor gleamed.
The crystalline palace stood tall, defiant against the dark sky. Flames dotted the landscape, marking the way in for the huddled masses of refugees.
"Mademoiselle Jeanne, how many more can you see?" the blue-and-white-clad knight near her asked with a small frown. "We do not wish to tax… her too much, or one of our strongest defenses will be gone."
Jeanne d'Arc grit her teeth. "I don't know. The people come, and they aren't closely pursued. Chevalier-"
They nodded. "Yes. I will help usher them inside. My queen would expect no less of me." The knight dashed forward, blade sheathed as they went towards the frightened people.
"And you? How are you holding up?" The Caster to her back moved his baton to and fro, letting angelic music fill the air and draw in the people. His overcoat flapped in the breeze along with purple accoutrements, and his long blond hair tumbled down his shoulders.
"I will stand as long as they come. I can do no less. They need me to guide them home. All I can do is beg the lord for strength. Strength for me, and strength for the strange sister Gilles gave to me before-" She cut herself off with a hiss.
Mozart gave Jeanne a gentle look. "Even at the end, twisted as he was… he placed you over his revenge. Perhaps there was a spark of light after all." He looked skyward. "Let us hope that light manages to endure."
The sky was black. No moon, no stars. The sun would eventually rise, but anything else was shrouded in the cold, slithering abyss.
Jeanne snapped to attention as a green arrow flew. "She's seen more enemies! Joan!" She took a deep breath. "Joan!"
With a titanic roar, the night burst into crimson flame. The sudden light revealed the massive dragon coiled around the crystal palace, which belched devastation behind the fleeing masses and into the undulating army that pursued. Shortly after, a rain of light struck down, slowing them further as more flames were spread.
"After this… we need to give up for the night," Mozart said regretfully. "Once the last person is in, we must shut the gates."
Jeanne let out a shuddering breath. "I know. Please lord, let more survivors come with the sun. Please, watch over us all."
"Honestly, the fact so many came intact is enough miracle to almost make me believe. Almost."
Jeanne turned reproachful eyes to her 'sister'. "Joan…"
The black-clad mirror to Jeanne crossed her arms. "I can only keep Fafnir so long, and my own flames won't illuminate like his. I don't have the grail to keep this up indefinitely." She shook her head. "If we don't receive help soon, we're dead. Outside of our own efforts, there won't be a miracle."
"How long?" Jeanne asked after a moment.
Joan shrugged. "With the reprieve of daylight, I can give us five nights at maximum. After that, even my own existence will begin to burn out." She gave a wry smile. "Lest you forget, I'm but a dream of vengeance birthed by the Grail. It was at the last moment I was changed to a dream to protect you and your heart."
"...I know. I am grateful for your presence."
"Yeah." Joan looked over the horizon. "Gilles…"
The dark didn't answer.
The Chevalier returned, a child on their hip. "This is the last of them. None of the creatures made it past Fafnir's flame or Atalanta's arrows; they did well. We should be able to rest when the sun rises."
"Right then, everyone inside!" Mozart commanded, waving his baton. "And may the answer to our problems come sooner than later," he added in a mutter.
Joan scoffed. "If you wanted God's help, you shouldn't have enlisted me."
"God loves and forgives all things of this world. Such is his nature," Jeanne replied.
A thready shriek came from the dark.
"Think he loves that?" Joan retorted.
"Of this world. I do not think they qualify."
Joan paused, yellow eyes wide before she cackled. "On that, Saint, we can agree."
____________________________________________________________________________
Splish. Splish.
The candlelight flickered as dark stains ran down the walls and into the floor. The building groaned, its roof torn away.
"Well Gilles, you had a good start. I must say though, deciding to get cold feet? Not your best moment."
The robed, headless corpse shuddered away, spined tendrils emerging from its neck to drag it along. A pale, masked woman lay to the side as greyish material unspooled from her abdomen before she dissolved into sparks. Face-down, a horned young woman with pale green hair faded away in tandem.
"And all these pieces to play with, too!"
A cloak sat astride a guillotine forged of warped flesh, bones peeking out as it quivered with breath. A hissing, grotesque batlike figure crouched upon a broken cross, red eyes giving off some of what little light remained. In the near distance, an organ echoed.
"But, all's well that ends well. The King's rightly pissed, and it's up to me to draw this all to a close. At least I get my cute little book in the bargain!" The man in monks' garb stood above the carnage, smiling. His white hair hung to his shoulders as he held a book bearing a screaming face and bound in human skin.
A nun with purple hair and a man in bronze armor both faded into sparks as he strode past. "Shame most of these aren't as corruptible as I'd like. Ah, well! I'm sure there's more than one new friend to make."
Francois Prelati plucked the Holy Grail from a battered table, standing beneath the newly towering structure. "Still need that Holy Maiden, though. For properly calling an Outer God, nothing else will do for a sacrifice!" He gave a mad grin.
The tree of flesh extended overhead, letting out a rumbling groan from countless mouths as a starfish-like atrocity dropped like decaying fruit from its branches. With exaggerated slowness, a new clump of meat began to bud.
"Time to really get this new Eden of mine going! Too bad the 'heroes' of the story haven't the slightest what's going on!" He pitched back his head in wild laughter.
The tree sighed in answer, its branches choking out the sky.
____________________________________________________________________________
Roman vomited into a nearby bucket.
"Oh yes. This is… how would my naughty apprentice put it? 'Going to suck'." Da Vinci tapped the keyboard thrice. "Coordinates locked." She hummed. "Better get him on that rush order for the boundary, Romani."
"Hruk!"
"Nevermind, I'll put in the order myself. You go lay down."
"Ugh…"
On the screen the Singularity sat in the midst of France, a cloud of darkness with tendrils of mist linking to the other six. It was the first that would need to be conquered... for if it did not fall, the rest would never be revealed.
Content Warning: Character death, mild gore, body horror, eldritch things. Entire next-to-last segment. Begins with 'Splish. Splish.' in italics. This is important to the story, as it establishes what happened alongside the segment immediately prior. It will become readily apparent why certain characters aren't showing up at this point.
______________________________________________________
Anastasia hovered as the medic examined Kadoc for any lingering injuries. To be honest, I wasn't sure there wouldn't be - the Shroud of Avalon was made to undo maiming and other catastrophic damage, not papercuts.
Kadoc, on his part, put up with the pokes and prods in the hospital gown. His tattered clothes were on the floor, and he looked slightly uncomfortable with the Russian royal so close when all he had was a paper sheet with thread tying it in the back.
"Right, so you two should leave for the last few parts of the checkup," the medic said. He was a guy in his late twenties or early thirties, if I had to guess. I didn't know his name, and he wasn't looking at me directly so I figured it'd be a waste of time to try and make friends.
"Meaning…?" I crossed my arms.
"Meaning you probably want to go get Mr. Zemlupus some clothes from his quarters before I make sure he doesn't have testicular cancer and there's no lingering damage."
I grimaced as I squeezed my legs together. "Didn't think about that. Didn't need to think about that."
Kadoc, for his part, had gone very, very pale. "I- I'd have noticed if there was damage right?"
Anastasia had already left the room.
"You had compound fractures on both of these limbs and damage to your face, so it's not unreasonable that the soft tissue-" the guy began.
"How about we not complicate the trauma he's already experienced and any further tests can be chalked up to 'just in case', hm?" I managed to force out.
Kadoc shot me a grateful look.
"You asked." The guy shrugged. "We've got the blood for the bloodwork, your reflexes, breathing, and blood pressure are fine. After this it's the X-Ray and you're set." He managed to glance in my direction. "At which point he'll definitely need his clothes, because those aren't going to be much help."
I looked at the pile of rags on the ground. "Right."
"You remember where my room is?" Kadoc asked.
I'd been there a few times, mostly when Kadoc wanted to introduce me to some new music. Hm…
Plotting something?
Not complex enough to qualify as a plot or plan. Just thinking.
"I do," I answered after a moment. "Between Pepe's and Wodime's, yeah?"
"Right, and across from Ophelia's," Kadoc confirmed in a relieved tone. "From here you ought to be able to get there and back by the time we're done."
I tapped my greaves. "Even without these, I'm a full-time Servant. Don't sell me that short, man."
He chuckled. "Good point. Anastasia's outside, so she'll probably tag along."
I went for the door as I heard the fluttering of the gown, quickly opening and closing it.
"Cold hands!" Kadoc yelped as the door shut.
I looked heavenward. "Poor guy," I muttered.
"Because he's being manhandled?" Anastasia asked in an arch tone as she re-materialized, her doll in her arms.
"Because he got blown to hell, which is why this is required. That, and I don't think it's hit that his closest friends here are on ice because if they weren't they'd be dead." I exhaled. "Anyway, walk and talk. I want him to have his clothes when we're done so I can get him to the cafeteria and get some food in him."
Anastasia kept a sedate pace as we began to walk, which was still at a clip a normal human would struggle to match.
"So tell me… how much hope does Chaldea have of accomplishing whatever mission you're setting out on?" Anastasia's tone was cool, distant.
"It varies. Our odds went up a lot when the Shroud worked on Kadoc. We have some powerful Servants to start, and Archaman and Da Vinci are competent enough to hold down the fort. Ritsuka passed a trial by fire, as did Mash. That said, I haven't heard anything about finding one of these 'Singularities' yet - which could just be Archaman not deigning to tell me. Though I don't think he'd keep it from Ritsuka, and I know he'd find me to fill me in." I shrugged. "Past that, I'm looking at options to defend this place better."
"Such as?"
"Well, putting our territory creation skills to work, for one. Obscuring Chaldea is theoretically possible if I draw on a mix of that and my Faerie Runes. We'd be able to see out, but nobody would see in. Maybe."
"You think they're capable of that? The enemy?" The white-clad Caster's expression didn't change, but she began to bear an air of apprehension.
"I think I'd rather be safe than sorry. The better anchors I have, the better territory I can make. I might have to construct certain things, but I should be able to block out most forms of surveillance." I stopped in front of a door in the residential area. Kadoc's name was etched in English on a plate next to it. "And here we are."
"How strong a defense are you considering?" Anastasia asked as I opened the door.
"As strong as I can get. I've drawn up a few blueprints in my spare time, and having a tool to etch the runes makes it easier to do." I tapped the wand on my left hip. "I just need Da Vinci to look over them and give her seal of approval before she pitches them to Archaman."
"She knows the function of your mysteries?" Anastasia made one of her first expressions since I'd met her - polite bafflement - as we stepped into Kadoc's room. "I thought such a thing was frowned upon."
"Less that she's pried into them and more that she trusts I know how my kit works. And- oh geez." I sighed. "Let's see if there's clean clothes."
Kadoc wasn't that much older than me, and the room screamed 'bachelor pad'. Well, to a stereotype of one, at least. There were the usual aspects: the 'clean clothes' chair, the 'dirty clothes' pile on the floor, the desktop in the corner… that said, there was a surprising lack of incriminating evidence.
...I would never forget the one time I snuck into Da Vinci's room and found her 'stash'. Turns out her decision to chase her dreams and attain her ultimate form hadn't changed her choice in reading material. Some of it was… informative… but just as much was flat-out traumatizing.
"I'm surprised that the doors unlock for just anyone," Anastasia noted as she gently opened the dresser. "Hm. a 'hoodie'..."
"They don't, actually. The locks are biometric, but IDs can be entered and taken pretty easily by the room owner. Kadoc enjoyed his quiet time, so not many had his."
"Then why do you?" Anastasia held up the dark article of clothing before tucking it under her arm. The doll floated in the air silently.
"...well…" I frowned as I held up a mp3 player with earbuds attached. With a thought, I changed back to my normal clothes and pocketed it. Note: downside of armor is no pockets. Da Vinci continues to be a genius by putting them in her dress, somehow.
"One would assume such a gesture to be between siblings, or close friends." Anastasia's tone was pointed.
Well, in most cases the biometrics were there for quiet in-and-outs. The last thing anyone wanted was to be alerted to a walk of shame by lots of beeping and clunking. Definitely wasn't the case for Kadoc and I, though.
"It took me a while to admit that I cared for him as much as I do," I muttered. "I'm gonna just assume he didn't have my hangups but didn't want to freak me out by making a big deal about it."
"So friends, then?"
"Yeah."
Anastasia gave an irritated huff. "Curses. If you were his lover you could at least tell me where he keeps his undergarments. These 'jeans' feel comfortable enough but the idea of them abrading sensitive areas is horrifying."
I couldn't help the slight choking noise I made.
My, my! The imp rears her head early!
"Uh, let me check." I wandered to the dresser, sidestepping the relatively large pile of clothing. "He really needs to do his laundry."
"Perhaps I shouldn't judge, given we had maids to do such things," Anastasia mused. She'd gotten a t-shirt, hoodie, and jeans together.
...there was one drawer unopened.
"Anastasia."
"Hmm?"
"Did you check the last drawer? The topmost one?"
"I'm too short to reach it with my little arms." She gave a slow blink.
Oh that's just bullshit.
Hmm. Perhaps she warmed early thanks to the presence of multiple life-saving contingencies? Normally she does the ice princess bit a while longer, until she's certain her compatriots will survive…
I sighed and opened the drawer. Yep. Boxers and socks. I pulled out a pair of socks and the underwear.
"And we're set," I said, turning around. Anastasia promptly dumped the clothes she was carrying on me.
"These shoes look moderately clean." She picked up a pair from near the closet, artfully dodging the chaos on the floor. "Now we are 'set', as you say." The doll landed in the crook of her free arm.
I shuffled the undergarments into the stack of clothes and made for the door. "Let's be on our way. I'm sure Kadoc's in danger of catching a chill at this point."
"The exam room did seem rather drafty," Anastasia agreed in a solemn tone. "Especially given how cold the examiner's hands were- according to Master, at least."
Goddamn. Kadoc was going to have his hands full.
Oh, that wasn't her. It was chilly in there.
Not what I meant, but good to know.
We made our way through the empty halls.
"...it is rather abandoned," Anastasia murmured as we made it back to medbay.
"Yeah. A lot of people died, hard. There's a few more survivors but we don't know when they'll recover enough to help. Right now we have a comparatively small crew." I shook my head as I opened the door. "Just gotta make do with what we have."
Kadoc sat on the exam table with a mildly violated look on his face.
"Thought it was just an x-ray?" I asked.
"That was fine. The other part of the exam is something no man enjoys," he replied tiredly.
I dropped the clothes next to him. "You can probably get away with changing in the specimen collection antechamber."
He looked at me expectantly.
"Ugh. Fine. The 'glorified outhouse'."
He cracked a small grin. "That's more like you. And here I was, scared that Roman might have finally managed to teach you manners."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," I called as he took the clothes into the adjacent room.
"You being a snarky bastard is one of the highlights of working here," Kadoc retorted. "If you ever go totally soft on us I'll start having trouble telling you from Mash." The door closed before I could flip him off.
"Mash is the girl with the shield, yes?" Anastasia asked.
"She is. We're siblings, but we take after the Heroic Spirits bound into our bodies."
"Which ones?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I have theories about Mash's, but nothing too concrete. He's a Knight of the Round, but I know for sure which ones he's not. I don't think Gawain, Agravain, or Gareth would attack me on sight. Mordred, I dunno. The rest…"
"Meaning yours is the famed Enchantress of the Isles, Morgan Le Fay," Anastasia concluded.
"Yeah. So Medea said something about you being a Tsar's daughter? Is that royalty?" Yeah. Change the subject!
She stared. "You do not know who I am."
Uh. "Anastasia Romanov? I think?"
"...by all that is holy." She took a deep breath. "I am Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, Grand Duchess of Russia and youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. He was the last sovereign of Imperial Russia. My family and I were executed in our home during the Bolshevik revolution. Upon the brink of death, I contracted Viy, my familiar, and so our legends became one." She swallowed. "We died in captivity, my parents, siblings, and I. Viy's power lies in his eyes, which expose secrets, find points of weakness, and destroy enemies. He is a familiar of Russia but can only be attuned to one with the right capabilities. I only qualified as I bled out."
"Oh." I rubbed my arm.
"It was thought that I had survived for a time, but later evidence disproved that. And now you know who I am."
I looked away.
"Tell me, what is the cause of your ignorance?" Anastasia's bearing was cold, regal. Whatever thawing that had seemed to occur reverted.
"Spite." I looked her in the eye. "Chaldea made my sister and I. We had many siblings, but only we survived the experiments. Out of the two of us, only my patron communed with me and granted me power on a regular basis. The administrator of the organization focused on the past as a source of power, so I turned my education to the present as much as I could."
For a moment, there was silence.
"Hm. Heh." Anastasia's laugh was small and bitter. "Spite against your tormentors. I suppose I can respect such a motive." Her gaze returned to being impassive. "A word of caution, however. You will be introduced to many from the past, with pain of their own. If you aren't aware, they may not be forgiving of your ignorance. The world is cold and cruel outside these walls, just as it is inside. Do not let your defiance lead to your downfall."
The door slowly opened, and Kadoc peered out. "...you guys okay?" he asked cautiously.
"All is well for the moment," Anastasia replied in a haughty tone.
I looked at him. "Yeah, it's fine. Clothes still a good fit?"
"It's been a week. Somehow I don't think I put on weight in cryosleep." Kadoc stepped out into the examination room.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah… oh!" I reached into my pocket and pulled out the MP3 player. "Here, I picked this up for you."
Kadoc's concern faded a little as he smiled. "Thanks." He took it and placed it in his own pocket.
A harsh rumble filled the room.
Anastasia and I stared as Kadoc flushed. "Uh."
"Perhaps we should escort Master to the cafeteria?" Anastasia proposed. She shifted Viy in her arms. "Before he wastes away."
"Oh come on," Kadoc grumbled. "Matthew's bad enough, not you too!"
"Bold words for a man who just had his ass hanging out for all to see," I sniped.
Kadoc went scarlet. "I did not! The gown was tied shut, I was sure of it!"
Anastasia gave me a sideways glance.
Oh?
"Do not fear, Master. It was a perfectly acceptable view."
Kadoc let out a tremulous wheeze as the flush spread over his ears and down his neck.
My, my!
...why didn't you warn me about Anastasia!?
You have to learn to stand on your own sometime! Also she was less likely to experiment on you than Medea was.
What!?
Don't worry about it!
I slung an arm up and around Kadoc's shoulders. "Well, let's get some food in him before we kill his appetite from mortification," I chirped forcefully.
Anastasia gave an elegant shrug. "I haven't familiarized myself with the area. Lead away."
Kadoc let out a soft groan of embarrassment as I gently herded him out of medbay.
____________________________________________________________________________
I set the tray in front of Kadoc. "Emiya said it's something called 'onigiri'. I'm not a hundred percent sure what that is, but everything he's ever made has been fantastic so it should be fine."
"It's riceballs. They're from Japan," Kadoc explained before shoving one in his mouth and chomping down. "Mmph."
Anastasia peered at the food as it vanished down the hungry Master's gullet. "Oh."
"You want any? Full Servants can eat, they just don't need to. I think?" I shrugged and set my own tray down. "Anyways, I still have a human body to support so…"
"These are good? Like, really good. I know they're nothing special but-" Kadoc peered at the filling inside a bitten onigiri. "...screw it." He downed the rest of the food before grabbing another one.
"Hey there, Kadoc." Ritsuka slid into the seat next to him, so I shrugged and claimed my own bench. Mash wandered around and got the last empty one.
Kadoc swallowed. "Ritsuka, right? Sorry I didn't stick around to chat more."
Ritsuka waved his hand. "It's fine! How was the checkup? No lingering injuries?" A concerned expression crossed his face.
"None at all. Just my pride." Kadoc slumped. "But that's par for the course."
"Pinch him or he'll start self-flagellating again," I said flatly before taking a bite of my food.
Ohgodsavorytastyyes.
"To be fair, I don't think anyone saw Lev coming," Ritsuka consoled him, patting his back.
Kadoc sighed. "Not what I meant, but I appreciate the sentiment." He gave a wry smile. "So how've the Kyrielights been treating you?"
"Mash is really good to have around. She's been a big help keeping me safe and helping me settle in. Matthew's been good for morale, mostly."
Kadoc gave me a disbelieving look.
"Hey, I can be nice!" I scowled. "...there were five riceballs a second ago."
Anastasia took a dainty bite before blinking in surprise as she swallowed. "This is good."
Mash giggled behind her hand.
"Seriously, though. He's been hard at work on that Shroud, and helping with suggestions here and there. I look forward to whatever he comes up with for me to use." Ritsuka smiled at me.
Lots of wards, passive ones. Healing spells too, because I just know he's going to jump in to save someone. Maybe a spiritron steroid deployment? Amplify output for target agility and strength… maybe a mana booster put in as well…
"Excuse me?"
I blinked and looked up.
Medusa loomed over me, the mask across her eyes keeping me from reading her expression too well.
"And this is?" Anastasia asked.
"Oh, this is Medusa. She's a Rider." I smiled.
Anastasia gave me a long look. "And that is the sum total of your knowledge."
"...yes?"
Medusa paused. "What?"
Kadoc looked at me. "What?"
I stared back. "What?"
Mash dropped her forehead onto the table.
There was a soft chewing sound. "Fou! I was gonna eat that!" Naturally, the little monster ran with the riceball in his mouth.
I sighed. At least I got three?
"Ah… well. I wanted to speak with you about something."
Kadoc raised his eyebrows as I looked back up. "Yeah?"
"...there's a request I'd like to make." Medusa shifted. "Chaldea has an ample library, or so I'm told."
I perked up. "Yeah, there's some neat books in there. Do you need help finding it?" I frowned. "Wait, you've been here a week and nobody's shown you there?"
"There's a different issue at hand. I cannot read with Breaker Gorgon in place, and without it those around me are in peril."
Hm… Wait. "Oh, you have Mystic Eyes!" I punched my palm. "Like Phamrsolone! Oh, that makes way more sense than you wearing that thing just because! It's a Mystic Eye Killer!" I waved my hand. "Sure, sure. Just get me some contacts and with my new inscriber, I can rune them up so they'll be useful around here. Heck, I can probably install a function to turn them on and off, and a self-moisturizing function…" I trailed off. "Anyway. Compared to other things, it's pure runework. I wouldn't even need anything past a basic bounded field. And the lenses."
Medusa paused. "Really?" She leaned forward. "You would just… do this for me?"
I shivered as her dress brushed my sweater-clad arm. "Uh. Yes?" I swallowed. "It's not like you've been any bother to me or whatever, and you seem nice enough."
Ritsuka dropped his face into his hands as Kadoc let out a long sigh.
Medusa slid into the seat next to me, and gently took one of my hands in hers. "Then I deeply appreciate the offer," she purred. "I'm certain I can find some way to express my gratitude." She paused. "Though I may need to discuss it with your paramour at first."
...hold up.
Ritsuka went scarlet, Mash began to babble frantically, Kadoc looked like he was about to choke, and Anastasia stared at me like a particularly fascinating and shiny bug.
"W-w-wait! If you mean- well I'm not- it should be if-" What? What?
YES YES YES YES
"Rest assured, it would be no burden on me." Medusa gave a small smile. "You're far from subtle. And, if Cu Chulainn is to be believed, rather adorable." The smile turned predatory. "The lenses are more of a standalone request."
Hello, yes officer, I'd like to report a murder-
"'Scuse me."
I let out an undignified squawk as I was scooped up from my seat and dropped back down onto a lap.
"So I couldn't help but overhear," Cu rumbled, his chest flush against my back as he hooked his chin over my shoulder. "It seemed like the kind of conversation I should be involved in."
Medusa swung her legs onto my lap, pinning me in place as she scooted closer. "I suppose you have a point."
Oh god I can't breathe.
"Th-this! Public! No!" Mash stammered out.
Kadoc turned to Ritsuka. "Is this normal? Does this just happen, now?"
"N-not really." Ritsuka covered his eyes. "This is. Ah. New."
I shivered as Cu gently placed a hand on my shoulder. "You good?" he murmured.
"I could use a little space." I swallowed, hard.
Medusa swung her legs down, and I sprang out of Cu's lap. I looked down at them both.
"I'm gonna go get to work on those lenses. You guys, uh. Have a nice lunch."
I blocked out the chatter at the table as I marched away, rubbing my face with my hands.
...damn it, I left my tray behind.
I slumped against the wall near… where was I? I looked around. Oh, admin.
...are you alright?
Yeah, I'm good. It was just a lot at once, and I needed to get out. I wasn't paying a lot of attention, were-?
Cu Chulainn seemed more aggrieved on your behalf than anything and Medusa wasn't bothered. The rest were in varying stages of shock, save for Anastasia. I think she found it more entertaining than anything.
So I didn't leave a total disaster behind.
No darling, you didn't.
I exhaled. "Okay." Maybe I could do the lenses before I started on Ritsuka's mystic code.
So you're thinking about it?
The lenses don't cost me anything and get me goodwill with an ally; they were never off the table. The sex… that I'm going to wait on.
True, true. Cu did get there first, after all. I could just imagine Morgan's little smile.
Yeah. ...think he'd be down for-?
Oh, darling. The Celts were known for an insatiable appetite; I'd be shocked and scandalized if he did anything other than carry you to her chambers.
...good to know. But, uh. Him first, I think. And I'd need to talk to Medusa-
Seeing how little you pay attention to, I don't doubt the two of them have already engaged each other. Possibly twice, at this point, but definitely once.
Oh. Oh! Then it's fine.
You aren't upset? Her tone was curious, testing the waters.
I mean, no? He was pretty open about what to expect. This is kind of exactly what he was offering.
There was a mental sigh of relief. Of course.
And I mean. I'm pretty on board with it.
Hm?
...Morgan, I was raised by you and Da Vinci. What are you expecting, here?
Bell-like laughter rang through my head. Oh, it hurts but it's true! I wonder how poor Roman will handle it when he pieces it all together?
I shrugged as I stood.
Well, as soon as there's more than three people willing to sleep with me at once, I'm gonna find Marisbilly's room, bust down the door, and get to work enthusiastically desecrating his bed. I bet the bastard was the type to have like… an emperor-size bed and keep it to himself.
There was a faint choking sound. What?
Go big or go home!
No dear, I mean wha-
It's fine!
____________________________________________________________________________
Da Vinci was clearly in her element when I found her. Her hands flew across the keyboard, and screens flickered on and off the display before her.
...interrupting seemed like a bad idea.
"Matthew?" Oh. Yay. "Do you need something?"
I turned, and- "Archaman, have you slept?"
The doctor gave a haggard grimace, the bags under his eyes pronounced. "I may have had a few hours last night."
"Is there anything you can delegate? Because burning the candle at both ends isn't sustainable, and we need a human to sign the paperwork for when this clusterfuck is over." I crossed my arms.
Archaman sighed. "Can I help you?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I was going to bother Da Vinci for a few things, but she's kind of…"
Da Vinci muttered venomously as several screens shut and a new one opened, a cursor zipping over a global map.
"In the zone."
"That she is." Archaman put his hands in his pockets. "Depending on expenditures, I might be able to vet them myself. Come on over and I'll take a look."
I glanced at him. "Sure. And you'll look into delegating?"
He shrugged. "I've already got all five of my people manning the medbay and the Rayshift experts at their stations. I'm not sure what else I can drop." He gave a slight smile. "Do me a favor and keep it from Mash and Ritsuka, will you?"
I narrowed my eyes. "How about I do that provisionally. As in, you take what care of yourself you can, and I only get them involved if you're at visible risk."
"Heh. That's… pretty fair, actually." I followed Archaman into his office, and he collapsed into his chair behind his desk. "So. What is it you're looking to do?"
I set a sheaf of papers in front of him. "I don't know how much you'll be able to put together, but I want to inscribe runes at several key points throughout the observatory to set up a territory. With the right words and drawing on sufficient mana, I should be able to add another layer of security to what we have."
Archaman picked up the papers and began looking through them. "What are we talking about, exactly?"
"Aside from reinforcing the defenses already in place, I want to use some of the runes from Morgan's diadem to occlude the goings-on in Chaldea. By mixing them with runes for illusion, I should be able to mimic a sort of video-feed-loop effect that will keep anyone spying on us from seeing our more sensitive stuff." I paused. "Though in all fairness, if the enemy has a method for seeing us this far, they already know about Kadoc."
"They?" Archaman looked up.
"Lainur mentioned a 'king'. He's not in charge, he's a vanguard. Whatever or whoever is trying to turn human history to ash is several orders higher." I frowned. "Nobody's stupid enough to leave a remnant like us unobserved, and if I hadn't been so focused on helping the members of A-Team that I care for, I would have priortized this. With the Shroud out of the way, we need to get some sort of information security up. What happens if we get a truly legendary Servant, stronger than any we have? Or one of us Casters makes a breakthrough? The last thing we need is Lainur and his compatriots coming down on us like a ton of shit because we became a concrete threat to their goals." I rubbed my cheek with my palm. "Also, we need to anchor this place dimensionally. No teleporting in or out except through Rayshifting. Lainur got out somehow, and I don't want to risk funny business."
I looked up to see Archaman giving me a level look. He inhaled deeply, and closed his eyes. "What will you need for this?"
"Ideally, stone or ice from the local area. I should be able to simulate the erection of a Fairy Mound by binding them into Chaldea's structures. It'll take me half a week, assuming I keep something like a work-life balance, or if I go a full twenty-four hours working and crash after… well, that."
Archaman looked down at the papers. "...you make several salient points. I'll get Da Vinci to begin procuring materials. Depending on…" He sighed. "If we come across a singularity, I'll ask you to do the rush job so you can have the day of rest before deployment. We can't leave this place undefended. If not, you have the week."
I nodded. "Right. Well, I can get it done-"
"You'll have the week," Archaman repeated with a little smile. "I assume you have other projects?"
Mystic codes, mystic eye killers… yeah.
"Well, I just need a pair of contacts. No prescription required."
"For?" Archaman crossed his arms.
"I want to enchant mystic eye killers for Medusa. Apparently she misses reading, and giving Servants room to relax-"
"Done. I have some expendable sets in my office down in medical. I'll walk you there and hand them off."
I blinked. "Oh. Okay."
Archaman shrugged. "I'm not unreasonable, Matthew. I know we haven't seen eye to eye on things in the past, but I'm not going to dismiss a good idea when it comes from you. We've never been enemies - at least on my part."
I stood up. "So how about those contacts?"
Archaman gave a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, I pushed too hard. Well, that's my fault. Shall we?"
I started walking, but paused as I passed a small dish. I plucked a piece of candy out.
"Ah, you won't like that." Archaman rushed over and pulled out a different one. "Here, I think this is more your taste."
Grudgingly, I took it and put the other back. I unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth.
Archaman gave an expectant look.
"...it's good," I grumbled.
He beamed.
____________________________________________________________________________
"-and take it right to her, okay?"
Fou stared up at me.
"You owe me for that rice ball." I planted a fist on my hip, holding the container out to Fou.
He licked his chops impassively.
I sighed. "Please?"
He gingerly took the contact lens case from my hand and bolted.
Minutes later, I received a note sent back with Fou.
"Thank you. I'll see you around," I read aloud. A small heart was scribed under it. I smiled at Fou, squat down, and scritched behind his ears. "Thanks, buddy."
"Fou!" He leaned into my nails, and after a moment turned and wandered off.
With a groan I stood up and pressed my hands against my lower back. "Yeah. Time for me to call it a day." My room wasn't far, so I wandered there and opened the door.
Desktop, check. Closet, check. Dresser, check. Bathroom door, slightly ajar. Cu Chulainn, on my bed wearing nothing but sweatpants and rocking a six-pack wait what.
"Uh. Hi." I shut the door behind me.
He smirked. "So I had a nice talk with Medusa."
"Oh, cool. I think she likes the contacts." I rubbed my arm nervously.
"Need me to put a shirt on?" Cu sat up until he was upright, legs crossed.
"No. No, this is fine." I coughed, then squinted at his stomach. "Wait, your hair's really blue? For real?"
He gave a slow, hungry smile.
"You know what, nevermind. I'll find out sooner than later."
His smile brightened. "Really, then? I've been doing my best to wait, but you don't make it easy."
I felt myself blush a little. "Yeah, well, don't expect me to go the full hundred yards tonight. I'm tired. But let's say your argument's pretty persuasive."
Cu Chulainn snorted in amusement. "If it was a hundred yards I'd kill anyone I slept with."
"I mean, there's alternatives." I moved my eyebrows up-and-down.
He threw his head back in a booming, amused laugh. "Bold! I like it!" He grinned.
I dropped onto the bed. "...so what do you mean I don't make it easy? It's not like I've been going out of my way to tease you or anything." I kicked my shoes off.
Cu put his feet on the floor and pressed his arm to my shoulder. "You're a handsome lad, I'm a man of taste. Unfortunately, not much of one for restraint when the object of my attentions is fairly ever-present, but I think I've done alright."
I leaned on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth. "Yeah. I'd apologize for making you wait, but-"
"Nah. Move at your own pace, I can find fun in more than one spot around here. We'll make our own time together." His smile gentled and he leaned down. "So?"
I swallowed nervously. "Right. Okay. Uh, apologies in advance for any awkwardness or, you know."
"Being a virgin isn't a crime, you know. And in case you forget, I've got quite a bit of experience on me." Cu Chulainn put his hand on the back of my neck, gently stroking upwards to cup the back of my head. He leaned in, and pressed his lips to mine. They were soft, to my surprise, and it felt- good. His breath on my face, his lips moving gently, his hand stroking my hair, all of it. After a few moments, he drew back. "I'm curious, though. You sure you don't want to invite Medusa?"
"You were here first, so I want to give you first dibs."
He looked oddly touched. "Is that so," he murmured softly.
"After, though… think you guys could agree to share for a night? Or two?"
And that decided it. "Oh, I'd be more than happy to." Cu Chulainn's eyes blazed as all restraint fell away. "Hah! I knew you were a man after my own heart!" He slid a hand under my sweater and shirt, across my stomach, and-
Some things are better left private.
____________________________________________________________________________
Da Vinci glanced at the blueprints, then at her screen. The Singularities were being hidden. Quite well, too. However! She was the omnipotent genius of her time, and with the right tools she could unravel any answer.
For example: when she had the calibrations for a subset of illusions right in her face, and the ability to see patterns.
Now, the illusions guarding the closest Singularity to them were of a different cast, but still very much of the same school. To that end, someone with similar training to Matthew had put them in place, likely at the behest of whoever was pulling Lev's strings.
"And with a simple flourish…" Da Vinci murmured.
She put in the data, and ran the simulation.
The clouds parted, and the first Singularity was revealed.
"Oh. That's unpleasant." She hummed. "Better tell Romani!"
____________________________________________________________________________
"Quickly! Into the castle!" the blonde-haired Ruler cried out, waving her flag and letting the brilliant light guide the people in. Her violet clothes stood out, and her silver armor gleamed.
The crystalline palace stood tall, defiant against the dark sky. Flames dotted the landscape, marking the way in for the huddled masses of refugees.
"Mademoiselle Jeanne, how many more can you see?" the blue-and-white-clad knight near her asked with a small frown. "We do not wish to tax… her too much, or one of our strongest defenses will be gone."
Jeanne d'Arc grit her teeth. "I don't know. The people come, and they aren't closely pursued. Chevalier-"
They nodded. "Yes. I will help usher them inside. My queen would expect no less of me." The knight dashed forward, blade sheathed as they went towards the frightened people.
"And you? How are you holding up?" The Caster to her back moved his baton to and fro, letting angelic music fill the air and draw in the people. His overcoat flapped in the breeze along with purple accoutrements, and his long blond hair tumbled down his shoulders.
"I will stand as long as they come. I can do no less. They need me to guide them home. All I can do is beg the lord for strength. Strength for me, and strength for the strange sister Gilles gave to me before-" She cut herself off with a hiss.
Mozart gave Jeanne a gentle look. "Even at the end, twisted as he was… he placed you over his revenge. Perhaps there was a spark of light after all." He looked skyward. "Let us hope that light manages to endure."
The sky was black. No moon, no stars. The sun would eventually rise, but anything else was shrouded in the cold, slithering abyss.
Jeanne snapped to attention as a green arrow flew. "She's seen more enemies! Joan!" She took a deep breath. "Joan!"
With a titanic roar, the night burst into crimson flame. The sudden light revealed the massive dragon coiled around the crystal palace, which belched devastation behind the fleeing masses and into the undulating army that pursued. Shortly after, a rain of light struck down, slowing them further as more flames were spread.
"After this… we need to give up for the night," Mozart said regretfully. "Once the last person is in, we must shut the gates."
Jeanne let out a shuddering breath. "I know. Please lord, let more survivors come with the sun. Please, watch over us all."
"Honestly, the fact so many came intact is enough miracle to almost make me believe. Almost."
Jeanne turned reproachful eyes to her 'sister'. "Joan…"
The black-clad mirror to Jeanne crossed her arms. "I can only keep Fafnir so long, and my own flames won't illuminate like his. I don't have the grail to keep this up indefinitely." She shook her head. "If we don't receive help soon, we're dead. Outside of our own efforts, there won't be a miracle."
"How long?" Jeanne asked after a moment.
Joan shrugged. "With the reprieve of daylight, I can give us five nights at maximum. After that, even my own existence will begin to burn out." She gave a wry smile. "Lest you forget, I'm but a dream of vengeance birthed by the Grail. It was at the last moment I was changed to a dream to protect you and your heart."
"...I know. I am grateful for your presence."
"Yeah." Joan looked over the horizon. "Gilles…"
The dark didn't answer.
The Chevalier returned, a child on their hip. "This is the last of them. None of the creatures made it past Fafnir's flame or Atalanta's arrows; they did well. We should be able to rest when the sun rises."
"Right then, everyone inside!" Mozart commanded, waving his baton. "And may the answer to our problems come sooner than later," he added in a mutter.
Joan scoffed. "If you wanted God's help, you shouldn't have enlisted me."
"God loves and forgives all things of this world. Such is his nature," Jeanne replied.
A thready shriek came from the dark.
"Think he loves that?" Joan retorted.
"Of this world. I do not think they qualify."
Joan paused, yellow eyes wide before she cackled. "On that, Saint, we can agree."
____________________________________________________________________________
Splish. Splish.
The candlelight flickered as dark stains ran down the walls and into the floor. The building groaned, its roof torn away.
"Well Gilles, you had a good start. I must say though, deciding to get cold feet? Not your best moment."
The robed, headless corpse shuddered away, spined tendrils emerging from its neck to drag it along. A pale, masked woman lay to the side as greyish material unspooled from her abdomen before she dissolved into sparks. Face-down, a horned young woman with pale green hair faded away in tandem.
"And all these pieces to play with, too!"
A cloak sat astride a guillotine forged of warped flesh, bones peeking out as it quivered with breath. A hissing, grotesque batlike figure crouched upon a broken cross, red eyes giving off some of what little light remained. In the near distance, an organ echoed.
"But, all's well that ends well. The King's rightly pissed, and it's up to me to draw this all to a close. At least I get my cute little book in the bargain!" The man in monks' garb stood above the carnage, smiling. His white hair hung to his shoulders as he held a book bearing a screaming face and bound in human skin.
A nun with purple hair and a man in bronze armor both faded into sparks as he strode past. "Shame most of these aren't as corruptible as I'd like. Ah, well! I'm sure there's more than one new friend to make."
Francois Prelati plucked the Holy Grail from a battered table, standing beneath the newly towering structure. "Still need that Holy Maiden, though. For properly calling an Outer God, nothing else will do for a sacrifice!" He gave a mad grin.
The tree of flesh extended overhead, letting out a rumbling groan from countless mouths as a starfish-like atrocity dropped like decaying fruit from its branches. With exaggerated slowness, a new clump of meat began to bud.
"Time to really get this new Eden of mine going! Too bad the 'heroes' of the story haven't the slightest what's going on!" He pitched back his head in wild laughter.
The tree sighed in answer, its branches choking out the sky.
____________________________________________________________________________
Roman vomited into a nearby bucket.
"Oh yes. This is… how would my naughty apprentice put it? 'Going to suck'." Da Vinci tapped the keyboard thrice. "Coordinates locked." She hummed. "Better get him on that rush order for the boundary, Romani."
"Hruk!"
"Nevermind, I'll put in the order myself. You go lay down."
"Ugh…"
On the screen the Singularity sat in the midst of France, a cloud of darkness with tendrils of mist linking to the other six. It was the first that would need to be conquered... for if it did not fall, the rest would never be revealed.
AD 1431
Humanity Foundation Value: B
The Hundred Years of Devouring Night: Orleans
Twisted Monk in Darkness
Humanity Foundation Value: B
The Hundred Years of Devouring Night: Orleans
Twisted Monk in Darkness
Last edited:
Miho Chan
One with too many ideas
- Location
- Hummelstown
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well shit. Prelati is present. We're all fucked. Game over man! Game over!
On another note, fantastically done @Blinktwice13 ! I love your fic!
On another note, fantastically done @Blinktwice13 ! I love your fic!
Garreon
Paldean Top Champion
- Location
- Mesagoza, Paldea
That is not a gaping hole, there is no damm lore there. Have fun bullshitting your way around with that Blink. There are no rules to follow
Rogue Gemini
Wanderer without a Twin
- Location
- Here
The fact that both Jeannes are allied here is more concerning considering that this is the monster that they and Chaldea will face...it makes sense in hindsight.
Blinktwice13
Underpaid Struggle Bus Attendant
- Location
- Eastern US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Caster!Gilles is dead, and his dying act was to use the Grail to wish Jalter to be Jeanne's bodyguard. Which, given Prelati openly wants to sacrifice his Holy Maiden/Friend... isn't entirely outside the realm of possibility.
The RE4 reject is not Gilles, just his husk. Kind of like how the guillotine isn't Sanson, and the Legend of Dracula manifested isn't Vlad...
At least Martha, Georgios, Kiyohime, and Carmilla got to just die.
Phantom's fine though!