The force that rode along-controlled him in Fuyuki left. Cu could guess where it went. For all BB lacked anything resembling ceremony, he recognized the power she infused into Brynhild. He didn't know what the Allfather wanted, but he clearly changed course after all was said and done.
I know the whole thing about Caster Cu being Odin in disguise or having Odin riding shotgun, but it makes no sense. Odin is DEAD. Not just mostly dead like what happened with Osiris; Fenrir devoured Odin, then Surtr incinerated Fenrir's corpse after Víðarr avenged Odin by killing Fenrir, then the waters washed the ashes of everything away. You don't come back from that, not even if you're a god.
She'd cut nothingness. She knew what that meant. Resigned herself to it. Fallen into emptiness. All to spare her companion from the grip of Chaos itself.
Swordswoman of the East. I have use of you and your memories. Your skills. There is something I want you to protect.
Well, the Third Magic can explicitly recall souls from Akasha, and that's where Musashi went when she cut nothingness itself. Certain powers can emulate the Third Magic in that regard...
It had been long since I had taken note of humanity. A tide of dreaming corpses, ambling about the body of a dying world. Eyes closed to Mystery, eyes averted to Truth. Even the advance of knowledge had slowed, focused more on consumption and building an empire on sand. Choking the air, clogging the sea, poisoning the earth. A waste. I'd had high hopes for them, and a small part of me still does. I want them to thrive, to live in joy and satisfaction. But if wishes were fishes the sea would be a block of scales and naught else.
I'll admit that this is an aspect of the collective Nasu-verse that always has irritated me. That everything 'mundane' humanity has accomplished over the centuries is meaningless and pointless.
All the various ancient beings and gods look down and heap scorn on modern-day humanity while refusing to parse the notion that they literally can't do what the big people in the sky want (IE use Magic and Mystery etc etc). And why can't they do that? Blame Gilgamesh for stabbing the Age of the Gods in the throat followed by Solomon delivering a haymaker to it's spleen later on.
Magic has been fading away and while the Phantasmal Species fled, humanity just kept on trucking because it's all they could do.
So... Musashi is her 'self' Post-Olympus, an incarnation brought along at what we know to be her last Stand, as of now. You can see the pain she faces, alongside with her search for familiarity, something she knows is the same.
The bit with Morgan and Manaka... from what I understand, Morgan and Morgause are separate entities in this, with Morgause being the one with an actual blood relationship with Artoria. With Morgause becoming Morgan by using Erosion to separate mind and soul from her body, then taking it over the Body and the Identity as Morgan le Fay. In Mama!Morgan's timeline, the target was Merlin, so she was forced to step in to teach Artoria, and as a result building a strong bond with her.
I know the whole thing about Caster Cu being Odin in disguise or having Odin riding shotgun, but it makes no sense. Odin is DEAD. Not just mostly dead like what happened with Osiris; Fenrir devoured Odin, then Surtr incinerated Fenrir's corpse after Víðarr avenged Odin by killing Fenrir, then the waters washed the ashes of everything away. You don't come back from that, not even if you're a god.
Well, the Third Magic can explicitly recall souls from Akasha, and that's where Musashi went when she cut nothingness itself. Certain powers can emulate the Third Magic in that regard...
I'm sure that Nasu has some reason for a dead god sitting in CasCu's skull. This is just me using that to say why it won't be happening here and setting up certain developments down the road.
I'll admit that this is an aspect of the collective Nasu-verse that always has irritated me. That everything 'mundane' humanity has accomplished over the centuries is meaningless and pointless.
All the various ancient beings and gods look down and heap scorn on modern-day humanity while refusing to parse the notion that they literally can't do what the big people in the sky want (IE use Magic and Mystery etc etc). And why can't they do that? Blame Gilgamesh for stabbing the Age of the Gods in the throat followed by Solomon delivering a haymaker to it's spleen later on.
Magic has been fading away and while the Phantasmal Species fled, humanity just kept on trucking because it's all they could do.
So on the one hand, Raziel does fall into this category. On the other, it's less that he's spitting on human ingenuity and more 'you had all these choices and you chose consumer capitalism'. He's the sort who'd be cheering insanely if we went a vaguely idealized version of Star Trek TOS. He knows we can do better, and is disappointed that due to lack of leadership or vision we haven't. Think of him as an infinitely more approachable and kind-natured Gilgamesh.
That inhuman perspective might be a minor problem at some point, but eh. Details.
So... Musashi is her 'self' Post-Olympus, an incarnation brought along at what we know to be her last Stand, as of now. You can see the pain she faces, alongside with her search for familiarity, something she knows is the same.
The bit with Morgan and Manaka... from what I understand, Morgan and Morgause are separate entities in this, with Morgause being the one with an actual blood relationship with Artoria. With Morgause becoming Morgan by using Erosion to separate mind and soul from her body, then taking it over the Body and the Identity as Morgan le Fay. In Mama!Morgan's timeline, the target was Merlin, so she was forced to step in to teach Artoria, and as a result building a strong bond with her.
Musashi keeps smiling because it's all she knows how to do right now. Good thing her reasons are fairly genuine.
And bingo! That's how I'm handling the two formerly being separate beings yet being the same in both modern interpretations and Nasuverse.
Now this does differ from canon, but having a plot device like Erosion and not playing on developing views of a figure like Morgan Le Fay, who went from a full-on Goddess to the protagonist's evil sister? C'mon, it wrote itself.
I know the whole thing about Caster Cu being Odin in disguise or having Odin riding shotgun, but it makes no sense. Odin is DEAD. Not just mostly dead like what happened with Osiris; Fenrir devoured Odin, then Surtr incinerated Fenrir's corpse after Víðarr avenged Odin by killing Fenrir, then the waters washed the ashes of everything away. You don't come back from that, not even if you're a god.
Honestly between alternate timelines the Root and all the other brain twisting things in the Nasu-verse I'm sure there are plenty of ways for Odin to still be around that said I am curious as to how there going to handle the CasCu and Odin connection in canon hopefully it will be something decent.
Eh, its odin, i trust him to be capable of sweet talking his way out of being dead. This is the guu who hung himself of Ygdrassil and willingly tore his eye out and drank the blood of a dead god, all in the name of becoming wiser.
Eh, its odin, i trust him to be capable of sweet talking his way out of being dead. This is the guu who hung himself of Ygdrassil and willingly tore his eye out and drank the blood of a dead god, all in the name of becoming wiser.
This. Odin has come back from being completely dead before, I'm not surprised he would do it again. As for how?
[Scotsman] MAGIC RUNES LADDIE! /[Scotsman]
There's also the fact that his death was narrated 2nd hand. Considering the fact that this is Odin we're talking about, Nasu can always be all, "psych, Odin foresaw the events in the lostbelts, and escaped Ragnarok... somehow"
He knows we can do better, and is disappointed that due to lack of leadership or vision we haven't. Think of him as an infinitely more approachable and kind-natured Gilgamesh.
Unfortunately you'd need an inhuman level of leadership and vision to pull that stunt off. Humans are a rather fractious, tribalistic and argumentative species resulting in it being rather difficult to get everybody going in the same direction. To quote the TF2 sniper "-'cause at the end of the day, long as there's two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead."
Sort of the greatest irony; in order to achieve the best of humanity, you'd need somebody who isn't human running the show. Well that or have humanity suffer such a cataclysm/horrific event that there is a massive culture shift for the purpose of survival/'never again'.
I'm hoping that this showing of Musashi spells good things for when next we see Lancelot. He's not quite on the level of the sword as Musashi and Kojiro, aka Bullshit, but he's closer than the vast majority and a better fighter in general on top of two ridiculously useful NPs that results in a disgustingly skilled combatant capable of beating the shit out of Saber...plus, now that Galahad is active we might see more hints of their Nasu-relationship.
Decided to do this on a whim. This isn't remotely balanced, but that's the fun part. Here's hoping the 5-star Mash we get post-Camelot-belt is as good or better.
Magic Resistance (A): 20% Debuff resist.
Riding (C): Quick up 6%.
Black Keys (C): Arts and Buster up 6%.
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Active Skills:
Mending From Arimathea (B): 7/6/5. Damage Cut 500/1000, 3 times, three turns to party. Party heals 1000/2000 end of turn for 3 turns. Debuff clear. Debuff Immune 1 time, 3 turns.
Protection of the Faith (Angelic) (B): 8/7/6. Self healing received up 30%/50%, three turns. Attack up 20%/40%, three turns. Defense up 10%/30%, three turns. Grant Self Overcharge 1 stage, 1 time, three turns.
Angelic Attendant (EX): 9/8/7. Arts up 10%/30%, three turns. NP Gain up 10%/20%, three turns. Self Apply Anti-Purge Defense, one turn. Self Apply Target Focus, one turn.
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Noble Phantasm
Evalach Raphael: On Angel's Wings I Strike Thee Down
Arts
6-Hit
Deals Damage to 1 Enemy. Removes Enemy Buffs, Including Buff Removal Resist/Nullifcation (unless permanent) (Applies First).
900%/1200%/1350%/1425%/1500%
Overcharge: Special Attack against Demonic, Undead, and Threat to Humanity enemies, 1 turn (Applies First). 50%/62.5%/75%/87.5%/100%
Normally every Servant weak to Enuma Elish has either the Sky or Earth atribute. There's also some with the Star atribute that share that weakness, but as a rule, most of them are not affected by Enuma Elish damage bonus. Lorewise, It basically means that Gilgamesh has a weapon in his Gate that can deal with the Servant in question. The exceptions are either Servants which are deeply connected to concepts (Tesla, Napoleon), conceptual forces he doesn't have a direct counter to (Shiki, Fujino) or Alien Natures (Abigail, Voyager, Servant Universe Servants), to name some examples. Basically, anything Gilgamesh cannot directly counter by pulling something out of his ass.
Euh no, it means what it means, aka 'Weak to Ea', his one big original NP, the Sword of Rupture, and Anti-World Noble Phantasm. Namely for the reason mentioned above, but yes, it is specifically, "Are you weak to the Sword of Rupture which create fraking space-time dislocations?", nothing is said about the rest of the treasures of the Golden Prick.
That being said, if you're asking what it does mechanically, it's a 20% boost to damage taken from Gil's NP as well as from cards with the "Wedge of the Heavens" command code. (Which has a picture of Gil and the chains of heaven.) There's no actual lore surrounding the trait, AFAIK - the aminoapps post @Priest of Eresh is (probably) quoting is lacking in citations and is conjecture as far as I can tell.
Well... yeah, that's kinda right. It's actually related to the effect of Enuma Elish, and the nature of the Star atribute Servants. Basically, Enuma Elish shows the Primordial Truth of the World, and the Servants with the Star Atribute have a resistance to it, by virtue of having been considered cornerstones of Mankind, instrumental in shaping Pan-Human History, possesor of inquisitive natures (in Sherlock's case) or too Alien to be affected by that Truth, literally in some cases.
And yeah, I freely admit I may have been too hasty on my previous post. And this one may also be based of conjectures, but I do believe that there has to be a lore reason for that trait. 3am is not a good time to dedicate Brain Power to the Nasuverse.
Been a while since my last full chapter, but this one was fun enough. Probably one or two more before Okeanos proper. I wanted to do some downtime, and I realized Ophelia deserved a POV. Mood whiplash, fluff, and plot ahead.
Content Warnings: I hesitate to use the word gore? More like uncomfortable medical bits in the scene after tea. It's nothing graphic, but it should seem familiar to people who've seen KNK Movie 1.
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Ophelia stared downwards. She was alone in the kitchen, given the early hour - but even so it was difficult. Despite trying to take a stronger hold of her own life, moving on her own volition… well. It wasn't the work of a single conversation and few weeks. Like Kiara said once she got hold of her - healing takes work.
Fuck them, Ophelia.
She took a deep breath and exhaled a soft laugh at the memory. It really wasn't that simple. She did still respect her parents - loved them, even. It wasn't really resentment she felt, but something… something akin to fear at the idea of disappointing them. Or if she did resent them, it was bound up in so many other feelings she didn't know where to start.
For all she was good at projecting a professional mask, she wasn't the inhuman ideal of a magus. ...maybe nobody was. Or if they were, maybe…
She stirred, blinking her uncovered eye. A rustle behind her caught her attention.
"You can't sleep either?"
Ophelia turned.
Ritsuka rubbed his left wrist with his right hand, looking both tired and nervous at the same time. The bags under his eyes were slightly less pronounced, but it was still obvious he was worn.
"You're up early. It's only…" She checked. "Five in the morning. I thought you'd be asleep, given you had to stay up late between your practice and compiling a mission report on the excursion."
"Ah, well. Even if there's less to worry about, there's still a lot going on. Delegating to Servants only goes so far…" Ritsuka trailed off. "Matthew takes up a decent amount of attention, and though Mash is very supportive she still needs things from me as well. And then there's Joan, La Voisin, Meltryllis, BB… we have a lot of rambunctious Servants around. Even with you and Kadoc, keeping them engaged is a lot. And so's making sure the peace is kept, too."
"And Wukong is less than no help," Ophelia murmured wryly. She hadn't met the Monkey King in person yet, but she was aware of the bare basics of his background.
"Actually, between Sanzang and Kiara he's been pretty subdued. For him. He seems to respond to simple requests pretty well, as long as they're from me." Ritsuka chuckled. "But… yeah. Not to mention I've started getting tactics homework from Lord El-Melloi II and Caesar."
"Not Nobunaga?" Ophelia put a lilt into her voice to try to indicate the joke. She liked to think she was getting better at that.
Ritsuka shuddered. "No, not her. I'd rather she not get serious. The only reason she didn't fill Caspan with holes for his treachery was because Matthew told her whatever he did to him. She laughed herself sick then slapped him on the back." He frowned. "Which honestly makes me worry more."
Ophelia didn't respond to that. It was an erstwhile observation, but Ritsuka seemed to think of Matthew as something 'human'. While that was not wholly incorrect, it was neither correct. His faerie blood sharply colored his interactions, making them predictable in a way. He wasn't incapable of compassion or kindness, but… his nature was very much reciprocal. He did unto others as they did unto him, with compounded interest. Though it seemed 'unto him' tended to apply to those he cared about more than himself when it came to harm.
Though with his growing powers, he might retaliate on his own behalf as well…
Ophelia blinked, letting the thoughts slip away. "Somehow, I doubt you came down here to find me in particular," she said, changing the subject.
"Ah. Not really." Ritsuka's smile was apologetic. "I was hoping to just do some cooking. Usually I work in here with Dad or Emiya, but sometimes I just like to make things. It's soothing."
And that tied neatly into her original plans. "Do you bake?" Ophelia asked.
"I don't know any recipes off the top of my head, and Dad and I don't tend to make sweets." Ritsuka kept rubbing his wrist. At that rate it might get rubbed raw. "I remember you made a really nice cake, though."
Well. Baby steps, right? If she had problems doing it herself… not to mention it would help her comrade, and give space for them to converse and bond. It would neatly accomplish multiple things at the same time.
"I was going to make linzer tarts." Ophelia tilted her head at the gathered ingredients. "They're a little involved, but I like that sort of thing." She considered continuing, then decided. "Finding motivation can be… difficult, sometimes. If someone were to join me, though, I'd find it easier."
Ritsuka perked up. He let his wrist go, and his arms fell to his sides. "Would you be willing to teach me?"
"It's hardly a Mystery of lineage. And besides, we haven't spent a great deal of time together. If we're to continue working as well as we have… erm. There are worse things to do to strengthen camaraderie than baking cookies." Ophelia flushed a little, embarrassed at voicing the thought aloud. She hadn't been this open with a man since Pepe was around.
Though perhaps Matthew might count, for all it was a brief moment in Septem.
"You're right. And I'd like to get to know you better, too."
Ophelia looked up.
Ritsuka was smiling. "After all, you're Mash's friend. She's a good judge of character, I think."
She hesitated. After a moment, she was able to return a small smile of her own. "Right. And she's become quite attached to you as well. That says quite a bit, doesn't it?"
It was Ritsuka's turn to blush, though Ophelia had a feeling it was far more vivid than her own.
Ophelia turned away. "Well. Wash your hands, and we'll start by making the dough."
____________________________________________________________________________
"So after they're done baking, we put the jam on the solid ones and put the ones with holes on top?" Ritsuka asked.
"Yes. Then the powdered sugar." Ophelia let out a sigh. "But still, it's going well." She gave another small smile.
"Yes. It takes a little more… waiting? Some dishes are more involved and take as much time to cook, but." Ritsuka fidgeted.
"Yes. At this point we wait." Ophelia hummed. "So what seems to be on your mind?"
The boy who led Chaldea's forces went quiet. He looked down at the counter, bracing himself with both hands. "Just… a lot of thinking. We're going to revive Kirschtaria Wodime soon."
Ophelia nodded slowly. "Yes. That is what I'd been led to believe." She was looking forward to seeing Lord Wodime again. He… he was impressive. Skilled, polite, but never cruel. Not to her, or any on Team A at the very least.
"Do you think he'll want to take over when he's awake?"
Ophelia considered the question. "I'm unsure. He was placed in command of Team A, but you weren't part of the group at the time. Having lead us successfully into two major engagements, and numerous minor ones, it could be argued that he'd rather observe. I really couldn't say." She paused. "It isn't that… mages do not tend to make friends. Political allies is as friendly as we tend to get. Perhaps such trust is acceptable in deeper alliances, but we learn quickly to wear masks outside our sanctums. The Clock Tower is as deadly as any royal court in its way."
Ritsuka nodded.
"However, if you fear his criticism… I would not worry too much."
Ritsuka looked up slowly. He met her gaze.
"You are kind. Warm, gentle. Compassionate. But you are also competent, and willing to leverage your assets to accomplish your mission." Ophelia folded her arms. "You have established rapport and respect with numerous Servants in a short time, including the King of Heroes. Though to the majority of us on Team A, that wouldn't be your greatest miracle."
"Matthew?" Ritsuka offered jokingly.
"Yes," Ophelia agreed, lowering her voice to indicate how serious she was. "You may have seen the tail end of it, but Matthew was reclusive and bitter. He was open to Hinako, Peperoncino, and Kadoc - no one else on Team A. Outside it, Da Vinci and Fou were his only companions. He cared for Mash, visibly so. But he kept distance." She waited, letting Ritsuka process the information. "He's changed drastically. I'm unsurprised it's unsettled Hinako so, to see him like this. And though you are not solely responsible, you had a hand in it."
"Oh." Ritsuka's voice was faint.
"Personally, I believe you should retain your position as field commander. We've come far enough that it would disrupt the balance of things to change it now." Ophelia tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Lord Wodime will like you just fine, I think."
The boy ducked his head, a look of embarrassed gratitude on his face. "...thank you. That helps a lot, actually."
"Mm." Ophelia glanced away, looking at the timer. Still a while to go.
"Ophelia?" Once she looked back to Ritsuka, he scratched his cheek. "Your eye. Um. I don't want to know the how of it, that's private," he said quickly. "But what is it, exactly?"
Her eyelid lowered at the question. "The Mystic Eye of Prolongation. To observers, it appears as though I reverse mystics through a rollback phenomena. Truthfully, I observe possibilities and cull those unfavorable. As for how… well." She gave a mirthless smile. "As you said, the secrets of a magus family are 'private'. To put it very mildly."
"So it lets you manipulate probability when concerning mystics, causing anything from a partial misfire to total failure," Ritsuka mused, tapping his chin. "So the results are at least diminished if not nullified. So long as the chance of failure exists, you can make it so."
"Precisely." Surprise at the succinct description colored Ophelia's tone. "You must have some considerable training to grasp the concept like that."
"Ah. No. Asako's the heir, not me. I know reinforcement, how to activate certain mystic codes, and how to store prana in gems. That, and a firm grounding in bajiquan." Ritsuka scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I've gotten a few things from osmosis thanks to the dream cycle I share with Matthew, but… most of me puzzling things out is intuition I'm afraid."
"...waste."
"Eh?" Ritsuka blinked.
"It's a waste. If you're intelligent enough to discuss such things with little training, with proper investment you'd be a credit to any line." Ophelia shifted her arms, frowning a little. "At least you're getting some experience here. And you do come from a lineage of some power, so it would be assumed you can enact mystics of considerable rank with practice."
"...I don't know about all that." Ritsuka's eyes flicked downward. "With me as I am, it's for the best that Asako be the family head. I'm lucky to have a secondhand tutelage from Da Vinci, not to mention a Prince of Avalon crafting my tools. Besides, I'm more of a spellcaster than mage in temperament."
"With you as you are?" Ophelia tilted her head. "You don't seem to have any ailment, chronic or otherwise."
"It's…" Ritsuka worried his lip. "I haven't told too many people about it. Kadoc knows. So do Roman and Da Vinci. Outside of that, I think Matthew knows, and Mash might too. Other than that, it's something my family kept to themselves. Why I came here in the first place."
Ophelia waited.
"I… I have a sorcery trait. Amplification. If I have kids, their circuits and elements will be stronger than both me and whoever the mother is. Or other parent." Ritsuka shifted uncomfortably. "My mom and Aunt Touko were worried that a rival family might try to trap me into a marriage contract and use me. Or someone from the Lords, who they couldn't protect me from without a lot of fallout."
Ophelia turned that over in her head. "So you came to Chaldea to hide. Hence 'Ritsuka Fujimaru'. Someone found out, then."
"Mmhm." Ritsuka nodded, a little of the color leaching from his face.
Ophelia decided against letting his thoughts continue down their current path. "Right. I understand. Though… things have changed drastically."
Ritsuka looked up again.
"I am the heir of my family - Phamrsolone is no small name in the Spiritual Evocation department, not least because of my own efforts. Kadoc is the heir to Zemlupus, which while a young family is still worthy of some respect." Ophelia lowered her arms. "Your mother is the student of the Wizard Marshal, and you've earned the loyalty of a recognized Prince of Faerie. If we assume this trend continues, Hinako's records indicate she was something of a prodigy in the Botany department, Peperoncino was a wandering rogue who was hand-picked for combat ability, Lord Wodime is… Lord Wodime, and Daybit sem Void is a genius even Da Vinci recognizes. You have powerful connections who will not see you abused."
Ritsuka swallowed. He nodded, then rubbed his eyes with his sleeve.
"And this all precludes Doctor Roman and any and all of the other Servants here," Ophelia continued. "So if you were to begin exploring the mysteries of magecraft, you'd have little political issue. Once we win."
"Once we win," Ritsuka echoed. He wiped his eyes again. "...thanks, Ophelia."
She smiled. "Think nothing of it. If we are to emerge victorious, we must support each other."
Though Team A was far from a family, the air of Chaldea as it was now was warm and welcoming. A hearth in the blizzard. And if the field commander himself could afford vulnerability…
Kiara had told her: 'Openness is not a weakness, so long as you are wise about whom you share your burdens with.'
"For the longest time, I despised Sundays."
Ritsuka blinked, frowning a little. The statement clearly caught him off-guard. "Why was that?"
"I don't know. Or, part of me knew but didn't wish to admit it. Feelings can be complicated, especially when you're trained to repress them." Ophelia took a deep breath. "Monday through Saturday, I had a strict regimen. I would study, learn, and grow my knowledge and power. Sunday… was rest. My day off. I would go home."
Ritsuka's frown deepened.
"My parents expected much of me. They… might have loved me. Gave me my eye, our family's secrets. They wanted me to bring our power to greater heights. I was their hope."
"Did they support you?" Ritsuka asked.
"They had faith in me."
"That's not what I asked," he replied. His posture straightened. "Even under a spell, my dad did his best to be there when he was conscious. And even with training Asako, Mom still did her best to make time for me. And when she couldn't, Aunt Touko and Aunt Sakura were always there. Did…" He hesitated. "Did they ever make sure you knew? That they loved you?"
Ophelia gave an elegant shrug. "If they did, then I may have missed it. I was focused on my studies at the time. Magecraft is my life. Or was. Now I have other duties."
"And other hobbies." Ritsuka nodded at the oven. "It's good. Even if you love something, if that's all you have… fire burns out. If it consumes everything. Moving to other fuel for a little bit is healthy."
Trying to reclaim some sense of equilibrium, Ophelia raised her eyebrow. "You just implicated magus culture and 'health' in the same phrase. You do recall that to be a magus is to walk with death?"
Ritsuka snorted, though the laugh was unwilling from what Ophelia could tell. "Unfortunately. But it's okay, you know? To love more than one thing. Passions are great, but I…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I think having a life outside of them makes them mean a little more. And more rewards are better, right?"
Ophelia looked towards the oven alongside Ritsuka.
"You may be onto something," she allowed.
"Is that something 'cookies'?"
A giggle escaped Ophelia. "And now I begin to see how you and the Kyrielights are compatible," she mock-scolded. She felt as though she failed to be appropriately severe.
Ritsuka's brilliant smile was worth it, though.
____________________________________________________________________________
"These are lovely," the valkyrie murmured. Brynhildr took a dainty bite of the tart, not even smearing jam upon her lips. "Beloved, you should try one."
Sigurd dutifully picked one up. "I cannot say I am much for sweets, but they appear to be well-crafted, my Master." He bit down, and blinked. "Hm. Not as overpowering as I'd feared."
Ophelia took a sip of tea, enjoying her Servants' company. "Thank you. I'll be sure to pass your compliments to Ritsuka as well."
Sigurd smiled. "And how is he, then? Admittedly, my dearest and I have been… a bit absorbed in each other." His cheekbones darkened ever so slightly, if only for a moment. If Ophelia hadn't been looking, she would have missed it entirely.
"He has worries and burdens, like any leader. But he is holding up, and hopefully being supported. I… we talked. It was unburdening for me, at least. I hope it was the same for him." Ophelia thought it was.
"I see. He has a bright soul." Brynhildr tapped her finger on the table. "And you? How are you doing?"
"I persevere, Brynhildr. Though I have been speaking to the bodhisattva. Keeping my mind in good health is only sensible, much as seeing medical if I fall ill." Not that her parents would have agreed, but… those who spoke with her seemed to benefit. It seemed worth the gamble.
"I can tell it has done you good." Sigurd nodded. "I cannot say if such things were considered in my time, but if it brings you peace and happiness, I support it."
A trio of young girls hung in the air behind Brynhildr.
"Ah…?" Ophelia shot the valkyrie a questioning look.
"Outside of battle, the cost to manifest my younger sisters is negligible," Brynhildr explained. "Ortlinde. Hildr. Thrud. Is there something you wished for?" A small smile appeared on her face, almost coy.
"We wished to try the treat, eldest sister," the hooded valkyrie piped up.
"It smells good. Though even if one of us tries it and we experience it, there appears to be some variation," the pink-haired one continued.
"Therefore, we believe each of us should have one. To maximize efficiency," the blonde concluded.
Sigurd raised an eyebrow at Ophelia in mostly-disguised amusement.
"Well, Ritsuka and I did go a little overboard this morning." Ophelia smiled a little. "I'm sure we can spare that many at least."
With the implicit permission, the three valkyries blurred. A moment later, the room was three cookies and three girls short.
Brynhildr giggled, covering her mouth with her free hand.
Sigurd shook his head. His gaze flicked back to Ophelia. "There is something I had been wondering, Master."
Ophelia made an encouraging noise before taking another drink of tea.
"Your eyepatch… does it impede your day-to-day life? I ask because Medusa has Mystic Eyes of a rank with yours, and from what I have heard by hearsay, Matthew granted her contact lenses to restrain them some time ago." Sigurd put the remains of his cookie on the small plate in front of him. "If asked, I would assume he would do the same for you."
"That is true," Ophelia allowed. "I've seen her in the library with her eyes uncovered - to my knowledge, at this point she wears Breaker Gorgon into the field for its offensive potential, not to restrain her gaze."
"Then there should be no harm in asking. Unless you prefer the eyepatch?" Brynhildr folded her hands in front of her.
"...I'll admit to being used to it. It would take time to adjust to a wider field of vision, and all that comes with it. But in all honesty, I simply hadn't considered the possibility of a monocular Mystic Eye Killer - let alone in contact form."
"And now that the possibility has been raised?" Sigurd watched Ophelia intently.
"It would be more practical in the field." Ophelia studied the teacup in her hands. "And… well, it would make everyday life a little more convenient to not have such a large blind spot."
"These are true. But what is it you want?" Brynhildr was kind, but relentless. "I do not ask what is practical, or what the desires of others might be. What are your desires, Master?"
"...I don't know." Ophelia kept looking downward. "It would be expected of me to do this. Make me more efficient as a mage and operative of Chaldea. And there's no reason to be frightened, either. I'm certain that if nothing else, my friendship with Mash would keep Matthew from giving me faulty equipment."
Sigurd grunted in agreement.
"And… we did connect, in Septem. He doesn't mean me ill. So it isn't a matter of trust. So why…" Ophelia looked up.
Brynhildr and Sigurd watched her, expressions mild. In contrast, worry brewed in their gazes.
"Why am I hesitating? I wanted to bake earlier, but I couldn't until Ritsuka came. I just stood there. Everything was out, but my brain just refused to proceed. And now, there's something that I might want - but my feet are stuck." Her vision blurred, and Ophelia pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. She dabbed at her eye. "It's so… frustrating…!"
It was. When it came time to do for others, or to fulfill her role, acting was as easy as breathing. But for herself… to move for herself…
How often did she move for herself? Not for the mission, or her family?
"Ophelia?" A faint, familiar voice echoed into the room.
With a quick wipe, Ophelia carefully avoided smearing her makeup and cleared her eye. She replaced the handkerchief and composed herself as though still in the Clock Tower.
Brynhildr reached across the table and gently took her free hand in her own.
"Ophelia," Mash repeated, walking into the tearoom. She wore a small smile. "I ran into Senpai earlier, and he said the two of you made cookies this morning. I was hoping there might be some left-" She cut herself off. "Ophelia?" The smile turned to a concerned frown.
"Huuu? Whatsamatter?" The pink spirit floated up from behind Mash's head.
"Apologies, Mash," she heard Sigurd say. "We were having a discussion with her and it became somewhat emotional."
Ophelia sterned her shoulders and raised her head. "There should be some left, of course. Cookies." She didn't try to force a smile, aware it would be unwelcome, but still tried to project friendliness. "Please take some."
Mash studied Ophelia, her visible eye peeking through the fringe of her hair. "If you want to talk about it, you can rely on me. Or if you don't, I can just stay and spend time with you."
Ophelia was able to smile at that. "It's nothing. Just having difficulty with doing some things I want to do. The only thing stopping me is myself."
"Oh. I understand. Sometimes I need a push to get started, too." Mash gave a rueful smile. "For all he can be a brat and a pest, Matthew's good at keeping me motivated. Senpai too, though in a much less… confrontational way. If I'm left alone, I kind of stall out sometimes."
"Sounds like good ol' executive dysfunction," Raphael drawled. "You wanna do a thing, but the grey matter just goes 'nah'. There's lots of reasons for it; it's more a symptom than a cause."
Ophelia stared at Raphael, and she sensed her Servants do the same.
"Uh, excuse you. Archangel of healing, ayup!" The pink spirit puffed themself up. "If I know the ways to mend and heal humanity, of course I have to know all the ways they can be hurt!"
There was a moment of silence as the former pall over the room fully dissolved.
"I see." Ophelia let out a soft exhale, smiling more honestly. "Actually Mash, if you could help me find Matthew I'd be indebted. I'd like him to make something for me."
"I'm sure he'd be happy to!" Mash chirped. "What is it you want?"
Ophelia glanced at Brynhildr and Sigurd.
The couple smiled back at her, expressions soft and supportive.
"It has been pointed out that Medusa has rather effective Mystic Eye Killers in her possession that your brother made. I'd like one for myself."
"Hey, didn't he say he had a plan…?" Raphael mused aloud.
Mash nodded once. "Yes. I know exactly where he is. Shall we?" She offered Ophelia her hand.
Ophelia took it and stood.
____________________________________________________________________________
"What…?" Ophelia took a sharp, shallow breath.
The scene before her was unbelievable for multiple reasons. Firstly, she was in another mage's workshop (outside of her family). Second, it was the workplace of more than one mage. Third, they were openly working on a Mystery well beyond what would be acceptable for an outside mage to walk in on.
"How are those forceps coming?" the Grand Magus, Touko Aozaki, asked.
"Almost done purifying them. Be more gentle! They're what we need for this stuff, but this process makes them fragile!" Matthew scolded. A strange blue-white wisp emerged from his fingertips, dancing like smoke-flame across mundane tools. Specks of light accrued on the metal, sinking in and fading from Ophelia's view.
"You might be the master at this, but you've hardly an artist's touch," Da Vinci chirped. She moved what looked like a muscle tendon inside whatever she was working on. Was… was that a foot? The forceps in her hand shimmered oddly in the light as they grasped the pinkish material and strung it along what seemed to be a femur.
"I've prepared more of the bath," Medea murmured, placing a bowl next to Matthew.
"Thank goodness, I was about to ask." He dropped the forceps in, and pale steam hissed upwards. The air in the room was heady with worked mana. "Okay, purified." He waved a hand, and the forceps lifted out and drifted towards Aozaki.
She plucked them neatly out of the air. "Right. I've got their measure now, so you can resume your part." She descended on what appeared to be a humerus and began stringing her own flesh-material.
Matthew looked up. "Oh hey. What's up?" He blinked a few times.
"If this is a bad time, we can come back later," Ophelia said quickly. "I merely- that is-"
Matthew stood. He wore a grey hoodie and sweatpants, with dark sneakers. Utterly casual and a sharp contrast to the others. Da Vinci was in her usual colorful garb, Medea was in her robes sans cloak, and Aozaki wore a button-down with slacks and suspenders. Sleeves were rolled or gloves worn in each case.
Fou's head popped out Matthew's hood, nose twitching "Foumf?"
"Uh-uh." Matthew gave a sharklike grin. "You brought a bribe, and I'm at a point I can take a break. What's going on?"
Mash giggled. "The cookies are more for goodwill, Matthew. It shouldn't be too time-consuming."
Medea gave Matthew a sidelong look. "Do remember we have to weave an extension to existing nerves before all is said and done."
Matthew stuck his tongue out in exaggerated disgust. "Don't remind me. I'll make sure not to get crumbs near the fiddly bits."
The Princess of Colchis eyed the small bag in Ophelia's grip. "Though, if we've reached a stopping point for today…"
"Almost. I wore through the forceps for a reason," Aozaki replied.
"Mm-hm. The other limbs are structurally complete, and after that it's on you two to lace the nerves while I analyze their files so we can prep the joints where we're affixing the prosthetics." Da Vinci gently pushed the leg away before standing.
"For Melt and Lip," Matthew explained. "Melt's got ports where she can swap out her blades, but I had to lean on BB to tweak Lip's shoulders for arms. What they've got is good for fieldwork, but…" He shrugged.
"This is some of the fastest work I've ever done," Aozaki admitted, placing the forceps gingerly on the table, the arm beside them. "And yet the quality hasn't suffered in the least."
Matthew pointed up. "Part of the runes was to make whatever we made in here easier to compose and more effective. If I'm making a Temple, I'm making a fuckin' Temple."
"Fou fou!"
"Okay, that part was Morgan but she used my body to do it! Nyeh!"
Ophelia felt distantly grateful that Brynhildr and Sigurd had remained behind. She wasn't sure what they'd make of this, miraculous as it was.
Da Vinci made a negligent motion with one gloved hand, and a quartet of rounded pods were lobbed to the corners of the table. As soon as Aozaki stepped away the bronze contraptions bloomed. Pale blue lines of light streamed to connect between and above. In seconds an opaque pyramid obscured the table.
"And the other two?" Da Vinci asked.
"I already encased them in stasis. Between the strength of the wards and the Temple itself, it will hold." Medea's voice was prim.
Matthew whirled back to Ophelia. "So!" he said in a chipper tone. "What's the news? Pretty sure I haven't set anything off-kilter in the past twenty-four hours…" he continued in a mutter.
Mash nudged her arm gently with her own.
"I was wondering if you would be willing to take on a commission," Ophelia hesitantly admitted.
"Outside the mystic code garb? Sure." Matthew tilted his head. "Mostly the three of us rotate on that, and I haven't really hit any inspiration for my own gear lately. Something new'll be fun." As he spoke, he waved to indicate Da Vinci, Medea, and himself.
"It's not entirely new. I was hoping you could replicate the mystic eye killers you made for Medusa on my behalf," Ophelia explained. "While it is more for convenience-"
"Sure, sure. Let me take a look at the eye and I'll get started." Matthew shrugged. "It'll keep me occupied."
"That's what got him to propose this," Da Vinci cut in. "Trust me, you're doing him the favor."
Mash frowned. "How so?" she asked, concern lacing her tone.
"Well, you've been practicing with Raphael," Matthew began, pointing at the Archangel aimlessly floating behind Mash. "Ritsuka's been integrating the Hot Monkey into gen-pop, I just started wanting to hang out with Romani and he's busy all the time. Musashi and Medusa wanted some alone time which I wanted to respect, Kadoc's exploring his new powers with Anastasia now that he's got breathing room, and this was the only way I could get Da Vinci away from engineering for more than five seconds."
Da Vinci shot Mash and Ophelia a wry smile.
"What about Cu Chulainn?" Ophelia asked, barely having a moment to regret the question.
"He's making the rounds," Matthew answered. His eyes flicked away. "If I was interested- well. Anyways." His gaze flickered, revealing something like exhaustion. "Long story short, people've been busy for the past few days and I needed something to occupy myself with."
There was definitely more under the surface, but Ophelia figured if she had any chance to unpack that it would be after she and Mash got Matthew alone.
"Which reminds me, I'm due back to make Souichirou dinner." Medea wandered over to the exit. "Contact me when we're ready to begin again," she ordered.
"Yeah, yeah. Things going good with the hubby?" Matthew snarked.
She shot him a small smile. "Quite." And with no further elucidation, she left.
Matthew frowned a little, then shored his shoulders. "Right. Let's head to my workspace." He looked back at Da Vinci, who had proceeded to lean her hip against his former bench during the talking. "Any chance you can secure a generic lens for me? Still persona non grata with medical."
"I'll bring one by." Da Vinci's smile widened. "And Matthew?"
He blinked.
"Next time you get lonely, I can multitask. Engineering isn't that far from your workshop."
Ophelia barely had time to process that before Matthew grabbed her arm and began to drag her away, Mash in tow.
"Will do!" Matthew chirped, something more genuine filtering into his voice.
____________________________________________________________________________
"You got something in your eye," Matthew said bluntly, drawing back. He folded his arms over his armored chest, tilting his head and frowning.
"Fou!?" The tiny animal poked his head over the fairie's shoulder, ears perked up.
"Eh?" Raphael circled around. "How do you figure?"
"So I have a decent grounding in modern magecraft, but my specialties relate to making things and working with natural forces - give or take," Matthew hedged. "Ophelia's eye feels like fire. I know fire; part of why I made Aoibheall was to make soldering and smithing easier. And there's a spark of Elemental flame in there. Emphasis mine."
Mash stirred in her chair, fists in her lap. "So what does it mean?" she asked.
"It means something's linked to her eye. Not enough to disrupt its workings, that much I can tell you. If anything, it gave it a bit more punch than normal."
"Which is probably why I was able to disrupt the connection between Fenrir and Romulus in Septem," Ophelia murmured. "I hoped to weaken them, but splitting them entirely…"
"Probably," Matthew agreed. "Though…" He trailed off, eyes glazing over. "Wait. What do you mean-? Okay, but names don't mean much-" he muttered loudly.
Mash's eyes sharpened. "Is it the voice?" she asked.
"Yeah, yeah." Matthew's eyes snapped back to Ophelia. "Okay. So, have you had any weird dreams in the past bit?"
Ophelia was confused. "Strange… dreams?"
"Like of giant fuck-off fire giants."
Breath caught in Ophelia's throat. The heat, the gaze, the awareness seemed to bear down on her once again. She had seen him. He had seen her. In that distant time far away and forgotten. In that time when all had faded to darkness.
It was like the sun had given her regard, weighed her, and found her worthy. Something like desire, but utterly inhuman, threatened to consume her.
Soft pads pushed against her bare hand, and Ophelia was jolted from her reverie to see Fou standing on her lap with an intent stare. She came back to awareness, hearing soft, soothing whispers in her ear as Mash wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Gonna go with a yes on that one," Matthew finally said darkly. "So we have that. But it's not just that. From what I've been told, we lucked out in one case. When the spirit Siegfried is summoned, the dragon Fafnir comes. In the case of the guy from Orleans, we got Sieg. In Sigurd's case, since he's a parallel in a lot of ways, things were a bit more obscure."
"Fafnir is a dragon, not a fire giant," Mash pointed out.
"Fusion. Passionlip is a mix of Parvati, Durga, and Brynhildr affixed to a unique personality," Matthew pointed out. "Fenrir got hooked up like a battery to Remus. Heck, Ritsuka's dad has a trio of forge-gods powering him. Here, we have something that could be called a seed of Fafnir attached to an echo of something called Surtr."
"What does that mean?" Ophelia asked. Her throat felt thick at the revelation. She'd merely hoped to get an amenity to simplify her life. If she hadn't… if she'd waited…
"Well, it means that Roman and Da Vinci both missed it because for right now it's still pretty subtle. All it's done is strengthen your eye so far." Matthew leaned back. "I can do a few things with it, though some I might need to consult on it."
"So how did you find out?" Mash asked.
"I asked. I got an answer, and New Guy gave me context." Matthew scratched the side of his head idly. "Basically, I've got tools that they don't. It's a good thing you came to me." He paused. "Though apparently Raphael could do it too."
"Ayup! Though I have to know to ask first," the angel admitted. "I'm not omniscient, you see. If I don't ask the right questions, I can't get the right answers - or any answers at all."
"So basically we caught this early thanks to dumb luck," Matthew concluded.
Ophelia inhaled slowly, then let the breath out. "I see." She'd have to ask Sigurd about this. "Surtr is the fire giant who would burn all the world during Ragnarok, the end times. After he burned out and the gods and monsters perished, the texture of the Age of Gods faded and was replaced with the Age of Man in Scandinavia." An oversimplification, but it would give him enough context for now.
"Like Pepe?" Matthew perked up.
"It's a place, not a person." Mash gave Matthew an arch look. "And that's clearly a fake name, you know."
Matthew's brow furrowed. "Oh."
Ophelia cleared her throat. "So what are my options, then?" She didn't want to pressure him, but having a hybrid Divine Spirit and Dragon inside her head was… disconcerting.
"Well, one is for me to use the ancient tongue to bolster your soul so you can consume the influence. This would result in you assimilating the traits involved but retaining your agency." Matthew paused. "There could be side-effects."
"I'd advise against it." Raphael's voice deepened, wings twitching. "If you do that, what could result could not be called 'human'."
"Right, tabling that," Matthew muttered. "Next, I could bribe BB into tinkering with it to forge a sort of pseudo-core for your eye fueled by them. Fewer potential side-effects, but I can't control BB's actions. She could do something for laughs that would impact you negatively down the line." Matthew hesitated. "I want to trust her given she has everything she could want, but she also really loves bullying humans and is only kept in check by Hakuno and whatever deals Morgan made with her as well as my own."
Ophelia considered the woman who had smashed a pair of ravens together and crammed them into a valkyrie's corpus. "Let's examine other options but not dismiss that completely."
Matthew nodded. Ophelia finally began to notice the small details. They were lighter than Ritsuka's or Kadoc's, but small bags were starting to develop under Matthew's eyes. His eyelids hung a little lower than normal, and there was a tension in his jaw that wasn't usually present.
"The last option is something no-name gave me. There's a ritual I can do to exert authority over the spirit linked to your eye and force it to manifest. Right now, it's pretty weak." Matthew paused. "It's fire, and it hasn't been fed properly. Or it fed until it ran out of fuel and now it's starving. So as a higher ranking Elemental, I can pull rank even though we're not from the same patch of dirt - and even though I'm a hybrid."
"What does that involve?" Ophelia asked.
"No direct side-effects, but it won't unbind Surtr. He'll exist as a familiar tied to you. You won't get anything neat like a magical core or anything, but to be honest, between your eye working as intended and a primordial fire familiar that will grow over time up to a threshold you set? You'll be doing alright for yourself." Matthew leaned back, exhaling. "Honestly, it's the safest option. Which is weird, considering we'll be cutting loose a world-ender."
Fou looked up at Ophelia, ears twitching.
"Right. We'll do that one," Ophelia agreed. She paused. "Are you… alright to do this?"
Matthew waved a hand. "I'll be fine. I haven't slept too great the past couple of nights. Got bad enough I had to get Fou to cuddle me, but I'm coping."
Ophelia and Mash exchanged a look.
"Found out if I sleep with someone - like, presence-wise, actual sleep - I can rest a lot better." Matthew shrugged. "It keeps the memories at bay, I guess. Didn't occur to me until I had to fend for myself again and they came back." His tone was devil-may-care, but Ophelia could see the wear on him.
"Right. So let's talk payment," Ophelia continued.
"I mean, I was gonna do stuff for free anyways. This is something you need," Matthew protested.
"Yes, and you need something as well. Since you're incapable of talking to Cu Chulainn, I'll-"
Matthew held his arms up in an 'X'. "Nope."
"Matthew…" Mash murmured, eye narrowing.
"He was upfront that he wasn't gonna be chained down. Just because he's gone to check out the locals doesn't mean he won't be back." Matthew dropped his arms. "And he made it clear that I could go to him. I'm just not interested in the women he's checking out right now."
Something flickered, a heat in Ophelia's blood. "But that's different. Your health is starting to suffer."
"It's just some bad dreams. I lived before, I'll be fine now." Matthew's tone was clipped. "Now let's get started on extracting your fiery friend and making an eye killer, and I'll get out of your hair."
"...we're in your workshop," Mash pointed out.
Matthew muttered something vitriolic and below Ophelia's hearing. Fou gave him a judging look.
Ophelia stood. "Alright. Where do you need me?"
Matthew gestured to a long table in the middle of the room. "Have a seat there. Luckily, I can do this with my runes and illusions alone. No need for fiddly calculations or material components. The Temple is a big enough magic circle to contain and restrain long enough for me to rearrange your bond. As for the lens, once Da Vinci gives it to me I have the ingredients for the material unguent on hand. The whole thing should be the process of a couple hours, especially since I'm doing one lens instead of two."
Ophelia considered her options. From what she'd observed, both in Septem and in Chaldea, Cu Chulainn cared for Matthew. Deeply so, which surprised her given the brevity of their relationship to date. Chiding him wouldn't do anything.
However, she mused as Matthew approached her with splayed fingers dripping gold, informing him he was needed would likely be harmless enough and have far better results.
"Do I need to have my eyes open?" Ophelia asked, forcing herself to remain still.
"Nah. I won't even be touching you, but if you're more comfortable go ahead."
She closed her eyes, considering how to go about her newest task. Though she may be learning to care for herself, she was far more used to doing for others.
____________________________________________________________________________
Ophelia stared at the small ball of flame that fit neatly above her palm. It was crusted over with what looked like burnt rock, all of which looked vaguely skull-like. Not to mention the tiny batlike wings that scattered embers harmlessly behind it.
"Ophelia," it rasped, and that was the same voice. Give or take a few kilograms of helium, but she recognized it.
"Surtr," she acknowledged with due respect. Merely because the Elemental was reduced was no cause for rudeness or inhospitality.
"Look at me. Diminished, guttering. What a shameful state of affairs." A slight hiss emerged as smoke fizzled from Surtr's spherical body.
"Eh. I mean, you'll probably never get to 'burn the world' levels again, but from what I managed to work you can store magical energy." Matthew leaned against his workbench, golden runes pouring into a small bowl. Da Vinci had arrived at some point during the procedure and was watching while he worked. "So you'll get bigger. Both a combat partner and reservoir. Also the amplification you gave her eye is sticking, so it's less a total disconnect and more a precaution so you don't influence her unduly."
Surtr gave a harsh grunt that sounded more like the chirp of a baby bird.
"Also you have a dragon core, so have fun with that. And by have fun I mean behave responsibly or I'll give you to Raphie."
To Ophelia's mild shock, the Archangel flared a vibrant blue, and for a scant second she was reminded of the sheer pressure the depths of the ocean were capable of.
"Don't worry!" Raphael chirped. "The Familiars' Association of Chaldea will happily look after our newest member!"
"Kyau." Fou stared down Surtr from his perch on Mash's shoulder.
"Not my familiar," Matthew reprimanded. "We're friends, that's different."
Fou gave Ophelia a long-suffering look. Somehow, she got the feeling this was well-trod ground.
"So Fou, Raphael…" Mash listed slowly.
"Probably Lugh and Viy. I can't see Touko loosing her boxed horror for tea and crumpets," Da Vinci mused with a bright look in her eyes.
"Boxed horror?" Mash asked, taken aback.
"A Demon from the Age of Gods," Da Vinci explained with relish. "I've not the slightest how she found it or managed to contain and control it, but the simple fact she was able to is fascinating in and of itself. Small wonder Scathach's so fond of her."
"What?" Mash croaked, head jerking up.
Ophelia mentally echoed the sentiment.
Surtr's flames crackled. "Scathach… her name resembles that of Skadi, the last goddess of my homeland. One wonders if there is a relation."
Ophelia pushed that non-sequitur aside, deeming it unworthy of note.
"Mm-hm!" Da Vinci peered over Matthew's shoulder. "No wonder you wanted to make a wand. That precision work is far faster, miniaturized, and precise than you've managed in the past."
"All of my gear doubles in combat as well as here. Except Walpurgisnacht, which I'm leaving with Astolfo for at least another week," he admitted. "Aoibheall lets me manipulate my materials more delicately, my wand lets me do runes easier, and the Dullahan's Gloves let me manipulate certain things more safely by phasing." He straightened. "And on that note, done." A small translucent disc floated from the bowl, turning in the air.
"Are there any instructions?" Ophelia asked.
"Not really. You can take it out and store it, or just leave it in. It's designed to overlay without irritating. Think of it as a removable nictating membrane. Your activation phrase will still work, but any Mystery or prana bleed will be stopped." Matthew gestured, and it floated towards her.
Ophelia gingerly touched the lens with her finger on her free hand. Slowly, she pressed it into her eye where it made contact.
Nothing happened, but then it wasn't supposed to. She blinked a few times, feeling it settle. "Perfect," she said with a smile.
Matthew gave a tired grin. "Good. I'm gonna swing by the cafeteria for a bite, then call it for the day."
Da Vinci made a sympathetic sound of negation.
Mash's brow dipped. "Da Vinci?"
"Things have been so hectic that we haven't kept you updated, but… the Shroud is charged again. Roman wanted to wake Wodime up today," Da Vinci said apologetically.
Matthew's shoulders slumped.
"We can wait a day," Ophelia said firmly in response.
Da Vinci's eyes widened.
"Matthew's been working nonstop. Give him until tomorrow."
"I agree of course," Da Vinci replied. "But what will you tell the mages?"
"I'll tell them that he has been working on personal projects for the good of Team A," Ophelia replied.
"And he has!" Mash added forcefully.
"And if they have further complaints, I will throw Fou and Surtr at them," Ophelia continued smoothly.
Mash froze. "Eh?"
"Fou!?"
"...I pray they refuse," Surtr 'rumbled', voice dripping with tinny malice.
Matthew let out a long sigh. "It's whatever. Today, tomorrow. The actual magical energy is contained in the code; I don't need to do a thing besides speak the activation phrase." He stood up. "I'm heading over. Let Romani know."
"Matthew-" Mash protested.
Matthew didn't say anything and kept walking. The door opened for him, then shut behind him.
"Fou…"
Ophelia glanced at Da Vinci. "If you could alert Cu Chulainn, Ritsuka, Hinako, Asako, and Kadoc as well?"
"I get the other four; we'll want all Masters on deck. Why Cu Chulainn?" Da Vinci's eyes twinkled, so Ophelia figured she was merely teasing out an answer.
"Because I want to make sure Matthew has him nearby in case he needs to leave quickly. I don't foresee Lord Wodime starting problems, but…" Ophelia swallowed.
"Malice burns in his breast," Surtr hissed. "All it would take is an excuse."
"A fairly hefty one," Mash rebuked. She scowled. "And you need to be quiet."
Surtr crackled.
"Wet charcoal says what?" Raphael whispered, the echo of the tides in their voice.
She hadn't seen a revival from the outside before.
Hinako watched with a sharp gaze, half of her face covered by an open book as she tried to maintain distance. Xiang Yu stood to her back, a hand on her shoulder. She'd been as withdrawn as ever, which was… hrm. Ophelia would look into it later, if she had time.
Sigurd stood to her left, Brynhildr to her right. Kadoc was shoulder-to-shoulder with Ritsuka, the boys flanked by Anastasia and Mash.
Asako peeked around from behind Mash, and the Grand Magus and her father remained in the back with Da Vinci and the doctor.
The air was painted with gouts of silver, the sheer ferocity of the ritual reaching a fever pitch. A cocoon of light spun in the air overhead.
"Is it just me or is it taking a little longer?" Ritsuka whispered.
"Not you," Matthew replied, eyes locked on the rite. "Out of all of them, Wodime was the most physically fucked up. That said, this is a lot, even for what happened to him." He turned his head. "Doc. Did he have pre-existing conditions?"
Ophelia turned her head just in time to see a startled look cross Romani's face. "Ah. Well, there's a level of confidentiality-"
"I'm asking because I might have to reroute power to the ritual for it to finish," Matthew continued in a bland tone. Ophelia saw Cu Chulainn finally arrive behind the rest as he spoke. "That means either using my own stores of energy - after a day of crafting - or reinforcing the Ritual with bleed from the Temple."
Roman looked around the room, visibly weighing his choices. He sighed. "This doesn't leave the room."
The ritual proceeded overhead, the only sound the rush of air around it.
"Wodime… was compromised from a young age. I don't know how, but his magical circuits were severely damaged. He wasn't forthcoming about it, and Marisbilly swore me to secrecy as his physician. It was nothing short of a miracle that he was accomplished as he was given his condition. Enough serious fights would have ended his life due to the strain." Roman's voice was firm, but lacked any of the uncertainty or affability Ophelia had come to associate with the doctor.
"Meaning I'm fixing his body and soul. Perf." Matthew snapped a hand upwards, palm facing the ceiling. Gold flooded the room, the letters etched into the corners flaring with brilliant light.
Gold and silver danced, gold streaming and supplementing the silver as it glowed brighter. The two colors mingled, danced. Light and air and the sigh of the wind echoed through the room. Ophelia felt the same sensation she did before waking, the slow return to consciousness - though this time from the outside.
"As a note, we're going to need at least an extra month to recharge this time," Matthew noted with acidic casualness. "And Void can keep napping. Pepe's next; no argument allowed."
"Alright," Roman said soothingly. "I think we can all agree to that."
Ritsuka stepped forward and put a hand on Matthew's back. "If there's anything I can do to speed the process up, let me know," he said gently.
Matthew's demeanor, something between harsh and emotionless, thawed ever so slightly. "If I can figure something out that doesn't hurt you, sure."
The blanketed form began to descend.
Matthew's hand snapped out, and his fingers clenched inwards into a claw.
The descent slowed, until the form within landed on his own feet.
Blond hair tumbled in a rough curtain, its usual lustre and sheen dulled by time without being tended. Blue eyes blinked wearily at the gathered. A noble face wore an unguarded expression, usual composure gone in the face of his revival.
"Wakey wakey," Matthew snarked, snapping his fingers in front of Kirschtaria Wodime's face rapidly. "You have no idea how much trouble you've caused me," he grit out.
Ophelia glanced back, making eye contact with Cu Chulainn. The man nodded and began making his way forward.
"I'm… alive?" Lord Wodime murmured. He straightened his posture, somehow composing himself despite having only tattered pants and the shroud encasing his body. "...Matthew." His expression didn't close off, exactly. But the perplexed frown wasn't much better.
"Surprise, bitch. Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me." Matthew gave a shit-eating grin, canines pronounced as he planted his fists on his hips.
Lord Wodime looked down, examining the Shroud. "...this is your handiwork." It wasn't a question. "You… saved me?" For a moment, the noble mask slipped. Confusion warred with gratitude, only for it all to vanish in a breath.
"Something like that. Because someone didn't warn me about your condition," Matthew continued in a dire tone, waving a hand at Kirschtaria's body, "I had to overcharge it which means an even larger period between this revival and the next."
Ritsuka stepped forward. "Lord Wodime."
His eyes turned to Ritsuka, and he gave a single nod.
"My name is Ritsuka Tohsaka, son of Rin Tohsaka. I am the Master of Matthew and Mash Kyrielight." Ritsuka gave a shallow bow. "I am also the interim acting Master of Chaldea."
Finally, Kirschtaria cast his gaze around the room. "Ophelia. Kadoc. Hinako. You three survived?" A note of relief entered his voice.
"Insomuch as we were entrapped in our coffins," Hinako replied dryly. "For the most part, we were recovered in the same manner as you."
Kirschtaria tugged at the Shroud. "...how long?" he asked finally, eyes returning to Ritsuka. Something piercing had entered his gaze.
"We've resolved two of the seven singularities linked to the incineration of humanity. Further, we've mitigated two other possible flashpoints for catastrophe using the Rayshift system," Ritsuka reported.
Appraisal. That was what Ophelia saw. "And you were the lead on these missions?"
"Yes," Ritsuka acknowledged. "Though I had no small amount of support from Kadoc, Ophelia, and my sister." He put a hand on Asako's shoulder.
Kirschtaria did another sweep of the room. "And Da Vinci and the good doctor as well, I assume."
"Yes. We've been making steady progress over the past two and a half months. It's early December," Roman explained.
Whatever information Lord Wodime had sought, he found it. With a nod, he turned his regard back to Ritsuka and Matthew.
"Then I see no reason to adjust course overmuch. My knowledge and experience are yours to call upon, Master Ritsuka."
Ritsuka stared up at Lord Wodime, somehow managing to not drop his jaw despite the shock Ophelia saw.
I told him, she thought with faint amusement.
Matthew snorted. "That's what I thought."
"And to you, Matthew Kyrielight."
He stiffened visibly. His hackles rose, ready for a fight. No magecraft flared, no wings spread. Just a boy ready to lash out or run.
"I owe you more than I can repay. Not only for the gift you have given me, but for the mistreatment which I begin to understand my mentor heaped upon you." And Kirschtaria Wodime stepped back, only to give a low bow at the waist. "As with your Master, my services are available to you and your sister alike." His hair dangled towards the floor, a separate stream from the Shroud, now limp from its exertion.
Matthew stared for a long moment. Something scared and small crossed his face, only to vanish behind a veneer of poisonous indifference. "What the fuck ever," he scoffed. He turned on his heel, only looking back at Ritsuka once. "He's your problem now, bossman. If he does any weird political shit, let me know and I'll put him back under."
He stalked out, feet moving with silent speed. Just slow enough to not be considered a 'run'.
Lord Wodime raised his head, contemplation in his gaze. Then he looked around the room. "It seems that some introductions are in order. And reunions." A small smile crossed his face. "I am glad to see you alive, my comrades."
Kadoc snorted, though a considering look crossed his face. "Just try not to slow us down. Ritsuka and I got a good rhythm going."
Hinako gave him an arch look. "Given I've only seen a botched training simulation, I'm sure it's breathtaking."
"Welcome back, Lord Wodime," Ophelia greeted. She looked around.
Cu Chulainn was absent. Good.
"Thank you, Oph- What is that." Kirschtaria stared at the floating form of Surtr, hovering over her shoulder.
Hinako peered at the tiny Elemental, then gave a surprisingly exaggerated double take, choking.
"Gawr," Surtr deadpanned.
"There are a great many details to catch you up on," Ophelia decided to reply.
Things were still difficult. Still slow. But she'd done what she could, and had moved her own feet - both on her own and with the aid of others.
"As of now, I have nothing but time," Kirschtaria replied, the other Masters closing in to gather around.
But it was a better Sunday than she had experienced for a very long time.
____________________________________________________________________________
"I'm fine."
"Mmhm. I can see why Ophelia asked me to show up."
"...I told her not to bother you."
"S'not a bother if you need me. Just because I'm off having a bit o' fun on my own doesn't mean I don't want you to come to me. If you have trouble standing on your own, let me be your strength."
"...I don't want to cling too hard and drive you off."
"Tell you what. You start, and I'll tell you. Alright?"
"...alright."
A warm embrace.
"Remember. We're here for each other. Even when the honeymoon's over."
I considered his words. What I'd started for Lip and Melt, what I did for Ophelia and Mash. What people tried to do for me.
Huh…Surtr was very quick to get on board with Ophelia and smacking the uppity mages of Chaldea. Why is that?
Liked the narrative text you used for Ophelia's little panic attack, and seeing someone else besides Matthew do mystic makings is sweet, nevermind as a group-multiple allied Casters, why you no work together?!
Apparently Fou doesn't mind being a familiar…no, he sees something of value in it, or perhaps that Matthew denying it is bad for him?
As for 'getting on board with Ophelia' his options are most likely that or getting canned by Matthew and co to serve as a glorified power source for her. Besides, the human he's now bound to will die within a century or two and then he'll be free. He can afford to play ball while regaining his strength.
