- Location
- Oregon, USA
Santa!Saber Sasaki Kojirou.
He can deliver three presents at once.
-
Going forward, links to content from Twitter (now X) will no longer be embedded. Pre-existing links should not be affected.
Save Scumming? It's on my Character sheet. (Re: Zero/Fate Grand Order)
- Thread starter Xorn
- Start date
- Crossover
He can deliver three presents at once.
58: Hit-and-run tactics are pretty useful.
Xorn
Master Procrastinator
- Location
- Somewhere I won't be able to rest in peace
58: Hit-and-run tactics are pretty useful.
Scorching blue flame surges from Fafnir's jaws the instant he arrives. There's no time for anyone to react - he comes from behind, and neither Jeanne nor Mash has time to ready their Noble Phantasm before the flames will reach us.
…I'll be faster next time. That's my one consolation in this.
"Please, keep your eyes upon me." A bloodstained shape soars over my head. The Chevalier d'Eon, trailing a ribbon of blood and spiritrons, throws herself in the path of Fafnir's attack. "-[Fleur de Lys]!" She shouts, and her body unravels into a curtain of flowers, holding back the fire.
For just a few short seconds, pale blue embers waltz beautifully with white lilies in the air above Lyon.
"...Well, I suppose I'll eat my words here." Mozart chuckles. "You were plenty elegant in the end, d'Eon."
An instant later, the fire breaks through, but the delay was just long enough.
"[Luminosite Eternelle]!" Jeanne's Banner crashes down, shattering the cobbled street beneath it. Fafnir's attack crashes uselessly around the domed barrier, melting the ground around us..
For five, ten, fifteen seconds, the fire continues to lick across its surfaced. Wordlessly, I ready myself to Shamak him the moment his attack ends. If it worked the first time…
…Did it work the first time? It certainly wounded him, but if he healed from what should have been lethal damage so easily-
The fire cuts off, and there's no time to think about it any more - it's do or die.
"[Sha-!" I start to channel my spell, but then-
In a single beat of his massive wings, the Evil Dragon Fafnir vanishes again.
"-He ran away!?" I shout.
"He's being smart, I think." Gareth mutters. "I never fought any, but my brother Gawain always said that the worst kind of dragon was the kind which hit you with its fire breath and then ran away without giving you a chance to counterattack. 'Hit-and-run', is what you'd call it these days!"
"'Guerilla warfare' more generally, but yeah." I ay.
"Gorilla?" Gareth tilts her head.
"No, I don't think the name has anything to do with Sir Gawain." Mash says - and then, pausing, she blinks a few times. "Wait, why did I feel like I should say that?"
"-Ah, a joke from Galahad. That's rare." The lancer says.
"Come to think of it, I think Mordred said something similar about Gawain… no, that's not important right now." Glancing around, I can't see any sign of Fafnir. "The real problem is what the hell we're going to do about this. It looks like he's backed off for now… but from what you just said Gareth, you think he's just going to jump us again the moment our guard is down?"
"Exactly." The girl nods. "The eyes of a Dragon can see far, so he can just wait until we get in a fight, or go to sleep, and then… blam."
I don't know if we'll survive the next one. Jeanne was almost too slow this time. "We only survived this time because Berserk Saber flipped sides at the last second."
"Mm." Marie nods, a bit of a sad smile on her face. "She may have said some terrible things, but in the end, d'Eon was still d'Eon… I'm glad."
"Hm. I think it was more of a case of priorities. She loved you more than her own twisted sense of honor… or something like that." Mozart says.
"Loyalty and love defeated honor… ah, it's kind of like Kanjincho, huh?" I say.
"Oh! I didn't know you were a fan of the performing arts, Subaru! Can you perform some Kabuki for us later?" Marie unleashes a dazzling smile.
"Maria, just because he knows about a play-" Mozart starts.
"U-um, no, I mostly just know about it from pop culture, since Benkei and Yoshitsune are everywhere." I wave my hands. "Really, I was only in the Kabuki club in middle school, so I'm basically a novice-!"
"He's actually done Kabuki before!?"
"R-returning to the point!" I cough. "Are we gonna be ready if he swings by again?"
"Now that I know it's coming, I can almost definitely block it, but…" Jeanne holds out the tattered end of her banner. "My banner can only block so much damage. If every 'hit-and-run' is like that, I think that I can only defend from it two or three more times."
"...I don't think I will be, Master." Mash cringes. "My agility is just too low to defend against something that fast. Not while also keeping an eye on the other enemies to defend you from their attacks."
"Dammit." I mutter. If Siegfried hadn't been killed, we could have just blasted him! "Dammit! I don't suppose you've got another Dragonslayer in your back pocket, Prelati?"
"Ah, Saint George should be in Paris right now." The boy answers with a smile.
"Is this all just a game to you!?" I explode. "Just how many other Allies have you not been mentioning!?"
He holds up eight fingers for a moment, and then, gazing upwards in thought, starts ticking them down.
"Ahhh… Well, Napoleon was here, but someone talked him into charging into Orleans alone and I haven't seen him since."
"That someone is obviously you!" I spit, fury building.
"And I buddied up with Captain Ahab for a bit, but he snapped randomly and tried to kill me. No clue where he went after that."
"I don't believe for a moment that it was unprovoked!"
"And then there's the guys in Paris… Saint George, along with four or five useless filler characters who aren't really important."
"Hey, I resemble that remark." Mozart laughs.
"Four or five?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm betting Corday will probably have murdered Robespierre by now…" he trails off.
…
A forced laugh from Mozart breaks the silence. "Just call it four, because if he's not dead now-!"
"Amadeus, it's fine." Marie interrupts, a pained smile on her face. "It's fine. I've… already forgiven him. So, for the sake of France, I'll gladly-"
"I haven't." Mozart says. "I haven't forgiven that man one bit, Maria. France in general is one thing, but don't expect me to forget anyone who played an actual role in your death. I know this is rich considering I just finished scolding d'Eon, but…"
Marie gazes downwards a bit. "Amadeus, do you think that I'm wrong for forgiving them?"
"Definitely." He answers without a second thought, and she cringes. "But, I also know that you wouldn't be Marie Antoinette if you didn't forgive them. It's just who you are, and it's what makes you beautiful. If you weren't willing to forgive even those who killed you and your family, you wouldn't be you. And I…" He trails off - and then, with a clap of his hands, a smile asserts itself on his face. "Whoops, I got a bit heavy there, just disregard that everyone! How about we hurry to Paris so I can drown Robespierre in a manure pit."
"Before that, can we even be sure any of the people in Paris are still alive? Isn't it super close to Orleans?" I ask.
"Well, that's simple. Right now, at this moment in history, Paris is under the control of the English. There's not a chance in the world of an army of dragons being able to take on the Dragonslayer Saint George, Patron saint of England and of Soldiers defending their nation, in English territory, while he is on the defensive." Prelati laughs. "The only thing stopping him from putting an end to this singularity all on his own is the fact that he'd need to step into French territory to do it."
"...That'd do it, yeah." Is all I can say.
And so, with a fragile hope in our hearts, we board the carriage again and set off for Paris.
Scorching blue flame surges from Fafnir's jaws the instant he arrives. There's no time for anyone to react - he comes from behind, and neither Jeanne nor Mash has time to ready their Noble Phantasm before the flames will reach us.
…I'll be faster next time. That's my one consolation in this.
"Please, keep your eyes upon me." A bloodstained shape soars over my head. The Chevalier d'Eon, trailing a ribbon of blood and spiritrons, throws herself in the path of Fafnir's attack. "-[Fleur de Lys]!" She shouts, and her body unravels into a curtain of flowers, holding back the fire.
For just a few short seconds, pale blue embers waltz beautifully with white lilies in the air above Lyon.
"...Well, I suppose I'll eat my words here." Mozart chuckles. "You were plenty elegant in the end, d'Eon."
An instant later, the fire breaks through, but the delay was just long enough.
"[Luminosite Eternelle]!" Jeanne's Banner crashes down, shattering the cobbled street beneath it. Fafnir's attack crashes uselessly around the domed barrier, melting the ground around us..
For five, ten, fifteen seconds, the fire continues to lick across its surfaced. Wordlessly, I ready myself to Shamak him the moment his attack ends. If it worked the first time…
…Did it work the first time? It certainly wounded him, but if he healed from what should have been lethal damage so easily-
The fire cuts off, and there's no time to think about it any more - it's do or die.
"[Sha-!" I start to channel my spell, but then-
In a single beat of his massive wings, the Evil Dragon Fafnir vanishes again.
"-He ran away!?" I shout.
"He's being smart, I think." Gareth mutters. "I never fought any, but my brother Gawain always said that the worst kind of dragon was the kind which hit you with its fire breath and then ran away without giving you a chance to counterattack. 'Hit-and-run', is what you'd call it these days!"
"'Guerilla warfare' more generally, but yeah." I ay.
"Gorilla?" Gareth tilts her head.
"No, I don't think the name has anything to do with Sir Gawain." Mash says - and then, pausing, she blinks a few times. "Wait, why did I feel like I should say that?"
"-Ah, a joke from Galahad. That's rare." The lancer says.
"Come to think of it, I think Mordred said something similar about Gawain… no, that's not important right now." Glancing around, I can't see any sign of Fafnir. "The real problem is what the hell we're going to do about this. It looks like he's backed off for now… but from what you just said Gareth, you think he's just going to jump us again the moment our guard is down?"
"Exactly." The girl nods. "The eyes of a Dragon can see far, so he can just wait until we get in a fight, or go to sleep, and then… blam."
I don't know if we'll survive the next one. Jeanne was almost too slow this time. "We only survived this time because Berserk Saber flipped sides at the last second."
"Mm." Marie nods, a bit of a sad smile on her face. "She may have said some terrible things, but in the end, d'Eon was still d'Eon… I'm glad."
"Hm. I think it was more of a case of priorities. She loved you more than her own twisted sense of honor… or something like that." Mozart says.
"Loyalty and love defeated honor… ah, it's kind of like Kanjincho, huh?" I say.
"Oh! I didn't know you were a fan of the performing arts, Subaru! Can you perform some Kabuki for us later?" Marie unleashes a dazzling smile.
"Maria, just because he knows about a play-" Mozart starts.
"U-um, no, I mostly just know about it from pop culture, since Benkei and Yoshitsune are everywhere." I wave my hands. "Really, I was only in the Kabuki club in middle school, so I'm basically a novice-!"
"He's actually done Kabuki before!?"
"R-returning to the point!" I cough. "Are we gonna be ready if he swings by again?"
"Now that I know it's coming, I can almost definitely block it, but…" Jeanne holds out the tattered end of her banner. "My banner can only block so much damage. If every 'hit-and-run' is like that, I think that I can only defend from it two or three more times."
"...I don't think I will be, Master." Mash cringes. "My agility is just too low to defend against something that fast. Not while also keeping an eye on the other enemies to defend you from their attacks."
"Dammit." I mutter. If Siegfried hadn't been killed, we could have just blasted him! "Dammit! I don't suppose you've got another Dragonslayer in your back pocket, Prelati?"
"Ah, Saint George should be in Paris right now." The boy answers with a smile.
"Is this all just a game to you!?" I explode. "Just how many other Allies have you not been mentioning!?"
He holds up eight fingers for a moment, and then, gazing upwards in thought, starts ticking them down.
"Ahhh… Well, Napoleon was here, but someone talked him into charging into Orleans alone and I haven't seen him since."
"That someone is obviously you!" I spit, fury building.
"And I buddied up with Captain Ahab for a bit, but he snapped randomly and tried to kill me. No clue where he went after that."
"I don't believe for a moment that it was unprovoked!"
"And then there's the guys in Paris… Saint George, along with four or five useless filler characters who aren't really important."
"Hey, I resemble that remark." Mozart laughs.
"Four or five?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm betting Corday will probably have murdered Robespierre by now…" he trails off.
…
A forced laugh from Mozart breaks the silence. "Just call it four, because if he's not dead now-!"
"Amadeus, it's fine." Marie interrupts, a pained smile on her face. "It's fine. I've… already forgiven him. So, for the sake of France, I'll gladly-"
"I haven't." Mozart says. "I haven't forgiven that man one bit, Maria. France in general is one thing, but don't expect me to forget anyone who played an actual role in your death. I know this is rich considering I just finished scolding d'Eon, but…"
Marie gazes downwards a bit. "Amadeus, do you think that I'm wrong for forgiving them?"
"Definitely." He answers without a second thought, and she cringes. "But, I also know that you wouldn't be Marie Antoinette if you didn't forgive them. It's just who you are, and it's what makes you beautiful. If you weren't willing to forgive even those who killed you and your family, you wouldn't be you. And I…" He trails off - and then, with a clap of his hands, a smile asserts itself on his face. "Whoops, I got a bit heavy there, just disregard that everyone! How about we hurry to Paris so I can drown Robespierre in a manure pit."
"Before that, can we even be sure any of the people in Paris are still alive? Isn't it super close to Orleans?" I ask.
"Well, that's simple. Right now, at this moment in history, Paris is under the control of the English. There's not a chance in the world of an army of dragons being able to take on the Dragonslayer Saint George, Patron saint of England and of Soldiers defending their nation, in English territory, while he is on the defensive." Prelati laughs. "The only thing stopping him from putting an end to this singularity all on his own is the fact that he'd need to step into French territory to do it."
"...That'd do it, yeah." Is all I can say.
And so, with a fragile hope in our hearts, we board the carriage again and set off for Paris.
There's no canon lore about Subaru doing Kabuki I don't think, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if he had.
This chapter is also a bit weak, but nothing to do but power through and hope to get some momentum built up.
Anyway, that's it from me, may the next chapter be faster.
This chapter is also a bit weak, but nothing to do but power through and hope to get some momentum built up.
Anyway, that's it from me, may the next chapter be faster.
At least Pretali is having fun
- Location
- Oregon, USA
The annoying thing with Prelati is that illusionists are some of the worst enemies someone with a power like Subaru's can face. Especially illusionists that specialize in psychological manipulation, and have a rough idea of his ability.
-_Firo_-
(Unverified Cat)
- Location
- Spain
- Pronouns
- He
I think that following Gareth's advise would be useful. At this point Prelati is everyone's problem.
I'll cheer for them.
I agree with Mozart. He made himself the head of all that disaster with "The Terror"... I really don't want to know what kind of NP came from there.
Who were the other remaining servants on Jalter's side? I mean, after those words from Prelati I'm expecting Paris' ruins aflame.
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
A small part of me wants Corday to become the legendary dragon slayer, rather than Sasaki.
I'd like to say that Chaldea has worked with worse servants... but I'm hard-pressed to find one.
Maybe Gilgamesh?
- Location
- Oregon, USA
Medb. The aforementioned Prelati. Arguably Jack (technically an unrepentant serial killer still). Arguably Summer BB (hard to tell what's an act, or even what's cannon). Kiara Sessyoin. Arguably Alterra (not that bad in the Throne's interpretation, but still destroys civilizations).
But, most of all:
Angra Mainyu, by definition, and because he has basically no redeeming features as a servant to make him worthwhile.
I mean, he's canonically (arguably) the worst servant at direct servant combat, but is canonically (arguably) third best at killing ordinary humans ANYWAYS, which gets scarier the longer you think about it.
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
Now, I don't particularly like Medb, but she's more a generic bitch ruler rather than the type of horror brought upon by the terror. Isn't She?
I'd argue Robespierre is as bad as Kiara if not worse (I'm not sure how many people Kiara's cult killed).
Summer BB only really bothered a small number of people (unless I'm missing something) and kept a time loop over Hawaii (that some people think was to protect them from Part 2).
With Jack, she's only a serial killer that's like saying Ted Bundy is worse than Pinochet, it doesn't make sense the scale is just different. It's the same with Prelati.
It isn't really Angra's fault he's evil, if I remember correctly he was such the poor sod that had all the world's evil put on him, it's not like the person underneath all that actually committed the atrocities. So while he is technically 'All the world's evil' I always thought he was more the metaphysical scapegoat for it.
ExNihilo
SPACE!
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well, she did try and, uh, Seraphix was confusing, but I think she would have at least functionally destroyed the earth by becoming III/R.
Or ended all (human?) life on it.
Or End of Evangelioned humanity?
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
Yeah, it was very unclear, I'm not sure if it was just end of humanity, or like that one Goetia fan theory, or like Amakusa in Apocrypha or if she was just very horny.
- Location
- Oregon, USA
There's a reason her NP is nicknamed 'the Rapemobile'.
Basically, she rapes people to death as her main battle strategy.
Summer BB may or may not be possessed by an evil god, and ALSO may or may not be possessed by something Eldritch too. But yeah, just, this is the text for her valentine's CE.
A forbidden Valentine's Day chocolate from BB.
An exquisite chocolate shaped intricately and eerily similar to Luluhawa Island. It's sweet...oh, it's just so sweet. One could rightly say that it's like a chocolate reality marble to melt the days away.
...Is the island made of chocolate?
...Or is the chocolate made of the island!?
You will never know, for in truth, you've been trapped inside it.
The vacation that keeps on repeating itself will never end, and there is nobody else who comes to visit the island. There's no place to run... Not to the past, nor to the future...
And then the picture is of her lips eating a chocolate shaped like an island with the word 'pig' written on it.
Yes, but when it comes to servants, their legend is very important. And even if it wasn't, on the world he's from, literally everyone in the world actively wanted for him to be tortured as much as physically possible. He's got some good reasons to feel like he does.
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
Again Ted Bundy to Pinochet. (although perhaps Beria to Pinochet is a better comparison and even then it's iffy)
Well... yeah that's where the theory that she was trying to prevent part 2 came from.
- Location
- Oregon, USA
Robespierre believed in a cause, and executed people who were actively involved in a volatile political situation, and thus were at least somewhat accepting of the risks inherent in that. I think torturing random innocents to death is more evil, even if there's more of the former. Because otherwise Alexander the Great and co. would be the most evil, right? So obviously we're taking justification into account here. Also, we don't have exact numbers on Medb, and as a 'larger than life' personage, it's possible she has him beat on numbers.
I mean, even if she was...
That's still arguably Fate Worse Than Death territory. If we're going by the worst single action, she's got it in the bag.
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- Location
- Somewhere North of south
You could frame almost any action in such a manner, that's why I generally have Gilgamesh as my goto for most immoral servant (raping every married woman in Uruk). You could frame it as he believed in a politics that said it was moral and therefore it's not so bad (as the game does making him lawful good) but I'd disagree.
Almost every mass murderer in history killed people involved in a "volatile political situation" that's how you end up with mass murderers.
That's a matter of perspective, I still think that Gil did while alive was worse, and that living out your days on a tropical island isn't the worst fate imaginable.
- Location
- Oregon, USA
I mean, you aren't though.
Living out your days, I mean.
It's an eternal timeloop, with no way out, ever. While someone's messing with your mind.
ExNihilo
SPACE!
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Neither BB nor Nyarlhotep are known for understanding how humans work properly. I don't know much about Pele, but even if she was a genius about it, she'd have two other actors who aren't great influences on the thought process.
In short, don't let VTubers and Outer Gods design your holiday retreat, even if you get
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
Isn't that basically any afterlife?
Xorn
Master Procrastinator
- Location
- Somewhere I won't be able to rest in peace
Berserk Ruler: Jeanne d'Arc (Alter)
Berserk Lancer: Vlad III
Berserk Archer: Not yet seen in this story. Canonically Atalante.
Berserk Rider: Saint Martha
Berserk Caster: Gilles de Rais (Currently useless because Prelati stole his book.)
Berserk Assassin: Carmilla (Subaru and co. believe her to be dead, bathed in dragon blood to heal her wounds)
Berserk Berserker: The "Mysterious" Black Knight (Lancelot)
I'll take the bold step of condemning the historical Alexander the Great as a total villain, who basically toppled the greatest and most peaceful civilisation the world had ever seen for no other purpose than his own desire to LARP as Achilles. Like, his bravery, leadership, and competence are all super admirable, but he was a total nut and not a very good person.
Worth noting that the Persians had given ample provocation in their general treacherous dealings with the greeks (funding both sides of their civil war, etc.), and I'd actually put pretty good odds on them having backed the assassination of Alexander's dad. But Alexander's stated reason for attacking them was basically "liberate the anatolians" who didn't actually dislike the persian yoke that much, and then after he took Anatolia it was just "because I can".
Of course, I think Alexander pales in comparison to Robespierre, because at least he was fighting the historical enemy of Greece for the most part, instead of trying to literally unmake the very identity of the people he was obliged as ruler to take care of.
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I don't know enough about the Persian Empire to agree with or dispute your very complementary description, but I will say that Persia was certainly the center of civilization (for that part of the world) during that era. Greece was a backwater.
I do find it amusing to think that Fate did get something right with Iskandar with his implied love of Persian culture. Alexander did historically adopt a lot of Persian ways as his conquests went on. Though I suppose that opens an argument of how much of that was desire and how much was practicality.
...I thought the consensus was that his dad and later himself were assassinated by Macedonian rivals. Since the Macedonians were big on assassination.
Oh yeah. Robespierre was crazy. I'm pretty sure he had a god complex by the end.
Xorn
Master Procrastinator
- Location
- Somewhere I won't be able to rest in peace
Well by today's standards... the persians were completely psychotic. The emperor was hailed as a god and probably believed that he was, and there are anecdotes of, for example, xerxes being asked by a farmer if his youngest son could stay home from the war to take care of the farm, and xerxes instead had the son killed (though this account is from the greek record of the peloponnesian war, so that might be propaganda).
All that aside, compared to all the empires that came before them, the persians were kind of a humanitarian miracle. They conquered the middle east and... didn't basically genocide everyone they conquered. And the peoples enslaved by the babylonians/assyrians were given their idols back and returned to their homeland. It's difficult to understate how amazingly kind this was for a conquering power at the time. The Jews, as an example, hailed Cyrus the Great as a messiah, and all of their accounts of the persians are very positive.
One of the fun parts of the Great Macedonian Soap Opera is trying to figure out who exactly killed who. Like, the guy who actually physically killed phillip was supposedly one of his officers, and also phillip's former lover, who was also upset because phillip had not punished a man who had raped him. So already plenty of motive here.
BUT, Phillip's assassin had a horse prepared for his escape, and was ordered swiftly killed rather than be captured alive, which leaves speculation about accomplices and encitement.
If he did have accomplices, theres plenty of options - other greek leaders, angry at being forced under phillip's banner. Alexander's mom Olympias, because there were rumors that Alexander was illegitimate and phillip had recently had some kids by another wife and she wanted to secure her kids position. Or it could have been the Persians, because theres no way they wouldnt have heard about a scary greek king literally building an army that he says he's gonna fight persia with, and with their own experienced ruler recently dying and leaving the inexperienced Darius III in charge, they figure they dont want someone experienced leading the greek coalition and back an assassination plot. If you've played CK2, you know the easiest way to stop an adventurer threat is to assassinate the guy.
Alexander on the other hand, either died because some greek noble or another didn't like his new Persian customs, or he died of alcohol poisoning. Those are my guesses.
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- Pronouns
- It
Hm, wheres phantom of the opera and charles henry samson? Are they rogue servants here?
59: A Shielder's Secrets
Xorn
Master Procrastinator
- Location
- Somewhere I won't be able to rest in peace
59: A Shielder's Secrets
I see a boy smothered by love. No matter the results of his actions, they support him. Whether he succeeds or fails, they love him still. But-
Being loved, becomes a habit. Thoughtlessly, carelessly, he falls into the habit of being loved.
His friends and parents love him. But he gets used to it, takes it for granted and seeks more. Deeper love. Desperately, recklessly, seeking approval - his last adventure was fun, but here's a better one! More reckless, more dangerous, more, more, more!
Gluttonously devouring excitement and affection, his appetite for adventure grows more and more - until no one else can keep up with him, and one by one, those with less heroic wills fall away.
But he's okay with it. Because his parents still love him, and as long as he can measure up to his father, he knows that will be enough for him.
But he never will. Because Natsuki Subaru is not Natsuki Kenichi. And so, in middle school, the boy realizes-
That Natsuki Subaru is a perfectly ordinary boy, with nothing special about him whatsoever.
"That's wrong." I want to tell him. "My Master is without a doubt one of the most amazing people I've met. He's an outstanding person who seems to be capable of just about anything, to the degree that he almost seems inhuman. Almost like Wodime or Daybit."
"Humility is a virtue, yet any virtue turns to vice when not tempered by prudence." I want to tell Senpai. "What good would it have done my father to imagine himself weak, or for Agravain to consider himself foolish?"
-And so, Natsuki Subaru falls into despair. Wallowing in indolence, he drops out of school, becoming a shut-in, hoping desperately for the day that his parents finally call him out, finally scold him.
They don't realize it at all. Love, too, can be a vice.
Quietly, in his heart of hearts, he pleads - for someone, anyone, to shock him out of his failure, to wake him up, to force him to finally grow up.
It's a foolish proposal - virtue and vice are habits, and whatever great revelation he has, it will only last until the next visual novel or anime with a silver-haired heroine drops, at which point he'll slip right back into all-night binging again.
…I-I really d-don't know what to think about his fixation on girls with silver hair-!
Just ignore it. That's for the best.
Regardless of his wishes, Natsuki Subaru's slovenly life continues apace, until one night, exiting the same convenience store he visits all the time-
"▬██▁▆█▆▀▬██▆!"
A black shadow with purple eyes and silver hair swallows me whole, and I wake up screaming.
***
I come to my senses in the empty cabin of the furiously rattling carriage, thrashing against my sleeping bag.
-That's right, we had decided not to stop for the night anymore, in order to avoid enemy attack. Most of the others are in spiritual form, so the only other person visible is Senpai, who is still sleeping soundly.
"Are you okay, Mash?" As I sit up, Jeanne re-materializes next to me.
"Y-yes. It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry if I worried you." I reply.
"...I see. Do you want to talk about it?" She asks.
I think about it for a moment. "I think that I would like that, but…" those are Senpai's private memories, so I don't think that I should be sharing them without permission. And as for what I saw at the end, the thing that made me wake up…
The thing I saw…
"I…don't remember." I realize. "I don't remember what woke me up. It was a sad dream, but nothing that should have made me scream."
"Hm. I see. If it's like that, then talking won't do any good…" She trails off mumbling under her breath. "What would Catherine do.. Ah! I know! Ahem." Jeanne fakes a cough, straightens up, and gazes seriously at me - and then with a wink, thrusts both hands at me in a heart shape "[Big sis beeeaaam]!"
…
For a few moments I stare at her in utter shock as she holds the pose - and slowly, scarlet creeps up her face as her posture shrinks, steam leaking from her ears.
"P-please forget you ever saw that." she mumbles and dematerializes.
"W-wait!" I start to say, but she's already gone. "I-it did make me feel better…"
***
In the end, though, I'm just not tired enough to sleep. So, with some care as to not fall off the moving vehicle, I climb out the window of the carriage, nodding to Marie in the driver's seat as I make my way to the top of the carriage, where Sir Gareth has been standing watch.
"Ah, Sir- Mash! Good morning!" She waves as I approach.
"You almost called me Galahad just now." I note.
"S-sorry! It's just, even the way you walk around fearlessly on top of moving vehicles is so… so Galahad that it can't be helped." She chuckles a bit.
Oh, is it?
…No, rather, was I always the type of person to do something like this?
"...A-anyway I'm glad you came out here!" Gareth interrupts my thoughts. "There's actually something I wanted to tell you - ah, but Subaru's not awake, right?"
"No, Master is still sleeping." I reply. "He uses a sleep aid charm that he got from his Senpai at the Clock Tower, so he's really tough to wake up with small noises."
"Mm, that's good, that's good - this isn't something he's allowed to know about, okay!" She says, and my brain starts to spin.
W-wait, is this.. That fabled "girls' talk" thing I've heard about!? I-I don't know what to-!
"The truth is, I think I'm going to die before we reach Paris." Gareth calmly says, and all levity vanishes.
"W-what?" I recoil. "Th-that's, why would you even…?"
"...Well, to start with, I've got this awful feeling. That black knight that was mentioned, the moment he came up, I felt terrible. There's something important that I've forgotten, and since I forgot it an ominous sensation has been building in my gut." She says, gritting her teeth. "My Luck stat is D Rank - that means I'm more likely than the average Servant to fall into tragic endings. The thing I've forgotten - I'm not going to get away with forgetting it. I'm sure of it."
"Th-that's nothing!" I blurt out. "We just need to make sure someone else fights the Black Knight, and then-"
"And then there's the other thing. This goes back to the moment I was summoned actually. Just before I was summoned, on my way here from the throne, someone spoke to me." The Lancer says with a grimace. "I didn't recognize the voice - it wasn't Lord Merlin or anything - but all the same, I felt like I could trust it."
"And this person told you that you were going to die?" I ask.
"...'You have been summoned for a purpose. Do not hesitate to sacrifice yourself to achieve it. Fulfill your duty, and victory is assured.'" She recites in a faux-deep voice. "That's all he told me. But somehow, when Prelati said that we were going to Paris, I knew. Get Master to Paris. That's all that is necessary. Beyond that, it doesn't matter what happens to me." The puppy knight concludes with a sad smile.
…
Silence falls as I consider her words. Victory is assured - that sure sounds nice. We could really use a guaranteed victory.
Senpai will be furious - but even so…
The comm unit on my wrist beeps.
"That's not allowed, Lancer!" Olga Marie shouts as her hologram manifests. She thrusts a finger at Gareth, coffee splashing wildly out of the cup in her other hand. "I don't give a damn what some spectral voice told you - you were summoned by Chaldea, and I intend to get full use out of you! The only spectral voice you listen to is me! We're all hands on deck right now, so heroic sacrifices are explicitly disallowed!"
"Eh!? But-" Gareth starts to say.
"Shut up, you damn glorified familiar! If the next words out of your mouth aren't 'yes ma'am', I'll hit you with my [Director Beam]!" She yells the name of a funny-sounding attack I've never heard of without an ounce of self-consciousness.
"Y-yes ma'am?" Gareth stammers, looking a bit blindsided by the Director's fury.
"Damned straight." She takes a sip from her mug. "Wait, it's empty? What the hell, I swear it was full just now… Oi, Romani, get me another cup."
"The doctor is asleep, Director. And he said not to give you any more-" A staff member says.
"[Director Beeaaam]!"
I see a boy smothered by love. No matter the results of his actions, they support him. Whether he succeeds or fails, they love him still. But-
Being loved, becomes a habit. Thoughtlessly, carelessly, he falls into the habit of being loved.
His friends and parents love him. But he gets used to it, takes it for granted and seeks more. Deeper love. Desperately, recklessly, seeking approval - his last adventure was fun, but here's a better one! More reckless, more dangerous, more, more, more!
Gluttonously devouring excitement and affection, his appetite for adventure grows more and more - until no one else can keep up with him, and one by one, those with less heroic wills fall away.
But he's okay with it. Because his parents still love him, and as long as he can measure up to his father, he knows that will be enough for him.
But he never will. Because Natsuki Subaru is not Natsuki Kenichi. And so, in middle school, the boy realizes-
That Natsuki Subaru is a perfectly ordinary boy, with nothing special about him whatsoever.
"That's wrong." I want to tell him. "My Master is without a doubt one of the most amazing people I've met. He's an outstanding person who seems to be capable of just about anything, to the degree that he almost seems inhuman. Almost like Wodime or Daybit."
"Humility is a virtue, yet any virtue turns to vice when not tempered by prudence." I want to tell Senpai. "What good would it have done my father to imagine himself weak, or for Agravain to consider himself foolish?"
-And so, Natsuki Subaru falls into despair. Wallowing in indolence, he drops out of school, becoming a shut-in, hoping desperately for the day that his parents finally call him out, finally scold him.
They don't realize it at all. Love, too, can be a vice.
Quietly, in his heart of hearts, he pleads - for someone, anyone, to shock him out of his failure, to wake him up, to force him to finally grow up.
It's a foolish proposal - virtue and vice are habits, and whatever great revelation he has, it will only last until the next visual novel or anime with a silver-haired heroine drops, at which point he'll slip right back into all-night binging again.
…I-I really d-don't know what to think about his fixation on girls with silver hair-!
Just ignore it. That's for the best.
Regardless of his wishes, Natsuki Subaru's slovenly life continues apace, until one night, exiting the same convenience store he visits all the time-
"▬██▁▆█▆▀▬██▆!"
A black shadow with purple eyes and silver hair swallows me whole, and I wake up screaming.
***
I come to my senses in the empty cabin of the furiously rattling carriage, thrashing against my sleeping bag.
-That's right, we had decided not to stop for the night anymore, in order to avoid enemy attack. Most of the others are in spiritual form, so the only other person visible is Senpai, who is still sleeping soundly.
"Are you okay, Mash?" As I sit up, Jeanne re-materializes next to me.
"Y-yes. It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry if I worried you." I reply.
"...I see. Do you want to talk about it?" She asks.
I think about it for a moment. "I think that I would like that, but…" those are Senpai's private memories, so I don't think that I should be sharing them without permission. And as for what I saw at the end, the thing that made me wake up…
The thing I saw…
"I…don't remember." I realize. "I don't remember what woke me up. It was a sad dream, but nothing that should have made me scream."
"Hm. I see. If it's like that, then talking won't do any good…" She trails off mumbling under her breath. "What would Catherine do.. Ah! I know! Ahem." Jeanne fakes a cough, straightens up, and gazes seriously at me - and then with a wink, thrusts both hands at me in a heart shape "[Big sis beeeaaam]!"
…
For a few moments I stare at her in utter shock as she holds the pose - and slowly, scarlet creeps up her face as her posture shrinks, steam leaking from her ears.
"P-please forget you ever saw that." she mumbles and dematerializes.
"W-wait!" I start to say, but she's already gone. "I-it did make me feel better…"
***
In the end, though, I'm just not tired enough to sleep. So, with some care as to not fall off the moving vehicle, I climb out the window of the carriage, nodding to Marie in the driver's seat as I make my way to the top of the carriage, where Sir Gareth has been standing watch.
"Ah, Sir- Mash! Good morning!" She waves as I approach.
"You almost called me Galahad just now." I note.
"S-sorry! It's just, even the way you walk around fearlessly on top of moving vehicles is so… so Galahad that it can't be helped." She chuckles a bit.
Oh, is it?
…No, rather, was I always the type of person to do something like this?
"...A-anyway I'm glad you came out here!" Gareth interrupts my thoughts. "There's actually something I wanted to tell you - ah, but Subaru's not awake, right?"
"No, Master is still sleeping." I reply. "He uses a sleep aid charm that he got from his Senpai at the Clock Tower, so he's really tough to wake up with small noises."
"Mm, that's good, that's good - this isn't something he's allowed to know about, okay!" She says, and my brain starts to spin.
W-wait, is this.. That fabled "girls' talk" thing I've heard about!? I-I don't know what to-!
"The truth is, I think I'm going to die before we reach Paris." Gareth calmly says, and all levity vanishes.
"W-what?" I recoil. "Th-that's, why would you even…?"
"...Well, to start with, I've got this awful feeling. That black knight that was mentioned, the moment he came up, I felt terrible. There's something important that I've forgotten, and since I forgot it an ominous sensation has been building in my gut." She says, gritting her teeth. "My Luck stat is D Rank - that means I'm more likely than the average Servant to fall into tragic endings. The thing I've forgotten - I'm not going to get away with forgetting it. I'm sure of it."
"Th-that's nothing!" I blurt out. "We just need to make sure someone else fights the Black Knight, and then-"
"And then there's the other thing. This goes back to the moment I was summoned actually. Just before I was summoned, on my way here from the throne, someone spoke to me." The Lancer says with a grimace. "I didn't recognize the voice - it wasn't Lord Merlin or anything - but all the same, I felt like I could trust it."
"And this person told you that you were going to die?" I ask.
"...'You have been summoned for a purpose. Do not hesitate to sacrifice yourself to achieve it. Fulfill your duty, and victory is assured.'" She recites in a faux-deep voice. "That's all he told me. But somehow, when Prelati said that we were going to Paris, I knew. Get Master to Paris. That's all that is necessary. Beyond that, it doesn't matter what happens to me." The puppy knight concludes with a sad smile.
…
Silence falls as I consider her words. Victory is assured - that sure sounds nice. We could really use a guaranteed victory.
Senpai will be furious - but even so…
The comm unit on my wrist beeps.
"That's not allowed, Lancer!" Olga Marie shouts as her hologram manifests. She thrusts a finger at Gareth, coffee splashing wildly out of the cup in her other hand. "I don't give a damn what some spectral voice told you - you were summoned by Chaldea, and I intend to get full use out of you! The only spectral voice you listen to is me! We're all hands on deck right now, so heroic sacrifices are explicitly disallowed!"
"Eh!? But-" Gareth starts to say.
"Shut up, you damn glorified familiar! If the next words out of your mouth aren't 'yes ma'am', I'll hit you with my [Director Beam]!" She yells the name of a funny-sounding attack I've never heard of without an ounce of self-consciousness.
"Y-yes ma'am?" Gareth stammers, looking a bit blindsided by the Director's fury.
"Damned straight." She takes a sip from her mug. "Wait, it's empty? What the hell, I swear it was full just now… Oi, Romani, get me another cup."
"The doctor is asleep, Director. And he said not to give you any more-" A staff member says.
"[Director Beeaaam]!"
Ominous foreshadowing from Gareth? I'm sure it'll be fine. It was in between some jokes after all, and that means it won't be a problem.
...Well, even if it is, I'm sure it won't stick.
...Right?
...Well, even if it is, I'm sure it won't stick.
...Right?
ExNihilo
SPACE!
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Silver Hair is Justice.
Good to know such things can come up outside of summer events.
Lol
Sore ja mata ne raishuu baaibaai!
Truly, the most dangerous weapon of all.
MountainBookSage
Daydreaming Sage
- Pronouns
- He
I think this is actually more dangerous than the big sis beam
it might kill the target rather than healing them
- Location
- Oregon, USA
…isn't that just Gandr though?