The time was early evening for the people of Chaldea. Dinner hour was coming to a belated close. Most of the staff had already retired for the evening, but a few of the more restless heroes were still milling about the cafeteria. The mellow atmosphere resonated with an undertone of boredom, one that affected some more acutely than others. Quiet conversations were occasionally punctuated by frustrated grumbles and petty grievances. By King Gilgamesh's third complaint about how dull this evening was shaping up to be, the usually quiet and patient Ritsuka-kun was about to lose his cool.
"If you are so bored, why don't we all play a game?" suggested Chaldea's other master, a small red head by the same name.
"A game?" inquired the blue haired lancer, turning his attention away from Astolfo and his caster counterpart and looking down the table towards his masters. "Did you have something in mind?"
"Of course the prospect of a game with Master would garner your attention, hound," the golden archer scoffed into his wine cup. He received spiteful glares from not only Cu Chulainn the lancer, but also the berserker sitting at an adjacent table.
Ritsuka-chan decided to ignore the sly comment. "Well, I have an idea, but I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it."
"I'm sure any idea you have would work out just fine, Senpai," Mashu encouraged, patting her master's arm.
"It's called Truth or Dare. It's a game that some of the kids in my neighborhood played when I was growing up. Have you heard of it?" Ritsuka-chan asked of the male master.
"I've heard of it, and I don't think I'm the only one," he replied, his gaze shifting to the adjacent table.
"Tch," Emiya the archer clicked his tongue, having begun listening to the conversation when his speaking partner, Cu Chulainn the berserker, had begun staring daggers at Gilgamesh. "Yeah, I'm familiar with that game. It's a little childish though."
"You're right," Ritsuka-chan admitted, succumbing to her embarrassment. "We don't have to play. It was a stupid idea anyways."
"Don't say that Senpai!" Mashu said. "I want to know how to play your game."
"Really?" Ritsuka-chan said, a mischievous spark of hope glinting in her eye.
"It's not a terrible idea," Ritsuka-kun put in. "The rules are simple and we have a good sized group to play with, assuming we can get everyone involved." His eyes wandered over to what they had been referring to 'the round table' this evening.
Around one of the tables sat several knights of Camelot. They had become a tightly nit click ever since their summoning. The few who still remained were Lancelot, Bedievere, Gawain and Arturia, all of whom held the saber class. They were fully engrossed in their conversation, completely unaware at the attention they were receiving from a neighboring table. Ritsuka-kun's eyes lingered longest on the blond woman, whose bight green eyes reflected unshakeable loyalty for her comrades. His attention returned when the golden archer next to him scoffed again.
"If you can manage such a feat, than perhaps I would humor you and join in this peasant game."
"Challenge accepted!" Ritsuka-chan said, jumping up and walking purposefully across the cafeteria to where Merlin and his Mesopotamian king sat sharing a bottle of wine.
"Hum, such audacious confidence could almost be considered inspiring. Even coming from a mongrel," mused the golden archer.
"You know Senpai," Mashu said quietly. "You never know if she will join us if you don't go ask her to."
"What!" Ritsuka-kun exclaimed. "I wasn't going to ask Arturia Pendragon to join us. That would be way to embarrassing."
"Yes you were," Emiya said, not looking up from his rice bowl.
"Do you really think she would say yes?" Ritsuka-kun asked Mashu.
"If it's you asking, I think anything is possible Senpai," Mashu responded pleasantly.
With some semblance of courage, Ritsuka-kun walked over to 'the round table.' Hesitantly, he said, "Um… Saber? I have a question for you." Unwittingly, Ritsuka-kun gained the attention of all the heroic spirits sitting at the table. "Would you like to join us all in a game?"
"A game?" the King of Knights responded "What would be the purpose of this game?"
Ritsuka-kun should have expected that Arturia would search for the practical reason for playing. Yet he was surprised that her first question was not about the nature of the game itself, which ended up working in his favor. "It's a way to get to know everyone better, in a sense..." was his reply.
"Why would such information be important," Gawain asked, scowling slightly. "We are warriors, not friends."
"But knowing your allies in battle can prove to be useful-" Ritsuka-kun started.
"Strengths and weaknesses can be assessed without frivolous games," Gawain interrupted.
"Some strengths and weaknesses are not determinable through observations of physical prowess," Lancelot commented, intentionally supporting his master. "And those traits are some of the most pertinent when interacting with your companions; during battle or otherwise."
"You could also think of it as trust building," threw in Ritsuka-kun.
"Humm…" Arturia muttered, silencing the table. "That reason seems favorable to continued efforts towards the Grand Order. Very well, we shall participate."
Bedivere, the only one of the four who sat opposite Arturia at the table, nodded in favor of his king's decision. Gawain and Lancelot both seemed happy with their leader's choice. Grinning brightly, Ritsuka-kun rejoined Mashu and Gilgamesh the Archer.
Meanwhile, Ritsuka-chan was having her own discussion with Gilgamesh the caster and Merlin.
"A game you say? Will it amuse me, mongrel?" the king was saying.
"I-I can't guarantee that…" Ritsuka-chan admitted, fidgeting with her skirt.
"You won't know until you try it you Gil," Merlin said. He turned and smiled at the master. "I for one am intrigued."
"Such impudence," Gilgamesh sighed, surprising Ritsuka-chan by not showing the same level arrogance as his younger self. "How many times must I tell you not to call me that?"
"Only once more, as always my lord," Merlin smiled, having no intention of changing his pet name for the man.
"Fine. But if I am playing, Merlin is too," Gilgamesh decided, taking a sip of wine that suggested no further arguments would be permitted.
"Fantastic, I'll go let everyone know!" Ritsuka-chan bounced back to her table to announce her victory.
Upon the return of both masters, Gilgamesh the archer agreed to play along. With building excitement, one that enthralled Mashu and drew curios stares from the rest of the servants, Ritsuka-chan designed to arrange the four occupied tables so that everyone could sit facing each other. Caster Cu Chulainn decided to help with Merlin and Caster Gilgamesh's table.
"I didn't think you wanted to play," his lancer counterpart commented, getting up from the master's table.
"You should know very well how interesting I find this game. Besides I can't be out done by the two of you." Caster replied.
"The two of us?" Lancer questioned.
"He also seems to be invested in this," Caster responded, gesturing at Berserker.
A glance at Berserker's table was all Lancer needed to see what Caster was referring to. That silent stare frozen to Berserker's face was known all too well by the three of them. Only they knew that the unreadable expression was the exact expression they would make when something had completely captured their interest. Due to the madness enchantment, Berserker's focus was all the more powerful.
"Tch," Lancer clicked in a manner greatly resembling Emiya's.
The aforementioned archer did not miss this, and it annoyed him greatly, but he was quickly distracted.
"Come help me push this table back Archer!" Astolfo said brightly, already up and prepared to shove the furniture back.
"Why are you assuming that I am going to play with you?" Emiya asked pointedly.
"Of course you are. It wouldn't make sense if one of the few people who know how to play this game doesn't play," Astolfo stated as if this were obvious.
"And if I decline," Emiya said, clearly hinting at his intention to do so.
"Out of the question Archer," Ritsuka-kun stated. "You promised to support your master in their endeavors right?" Ritsuka-kun's hard look told Emiya there was no way out of this.
Emiya pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "If it's for her, than I will do it," he finally conceded.
Once the tables were arranged, everyone sat on one of the inside benches, save for Bedivere, who sat upon 'the round table' to better see over his tall saber companions, and Astolfo, who in their excitement sat on the table between Emiya and Cu Chulainn the Berserker, feet dangling between the two on the bench.
"What are the rules Senpai?" Mashu asked.
Ritsuka-chan stood, "The name of the game is Truth or Dare. I think it is best explained with an example. The first person chooses someone from the group, only one person, and asks them to pick between revealing a truth of the asker's choosing or preforming a dare that the asker decides. So-um… Ritsuka-kun, truth or dare?"
"We can start out simply. Truth," the male master responds.
"Have you ever kissed a girl before?" Ritsuka-chan asked.
The other master paused for a moment. "I thought I said to start out simple-" Ritsuka-kun began.
"WHAT!" the red head exclaimed. "You haven't! I thought for sure you had."
"I have," the now awkward boy defended. "Kind of…"
"How do you 'kind of' kiss a girl?" Astolfo asked.
"The girls in elementary school would play this game, where they would pick a boy from class and get married to them. We mostly tried to run away from them, but if the girls caught us we would have to go through their marriage ceremony. I was unlucky, because I was the first one to get caught, and I was told I had to kiss the bride or it wouldn't be right… So I did…."
"You don't seem too happy about that," Cu Chulainn the lancer commented.
"I'm not. It was a forced kiss and my first kiss. I wanted my first kiss to be special and it was just some stupid joke in elementary. I cried in front of everyone," Ritsuka-kun admitted through gritted teeth.
There was a short moment of silence before anyone spoke again. Lancer ended up being the one to break the silence. "You know lad, there is a difference between sharing a kiss and someone giving you a kiss. A kiss is more than just two lips pressing against each other. You could say that your kiss didn't count because it was forced."
Ritsuka-kun looked up, a little bit of relief glowing in his eyes. "Thanks Lancer," he muttered.
"Anyway," Ritsuka-chan said, clapping her hands hoping to defuse the tension. "That is how the game is played! The idea is to ask difficult questions or make the dares super embarrassing so the other person doesn't want to do them. You get two chances to chicken out. After you use both chickens you have to forfeit the game, but you can hang out and watch if you want!"
The male master, now recovered from his upset, jumped in to help Ritsuka-chan explain the rules. "The chickens can be used like a skip turn, so you don't have to answer the question or do the dare and the person who asked you doesn't get to ask another thing."
"Now that I have targeted Ritsuka-kun, it is his turn to ask someone in the group," the female master added.
"That's right, but I can't return the question back to Ritsuka-chan. I have to ask someone else."
As the servants absorbed the rules, the all ended up coming to the same conclusion. This wasn't just a game, but a test of daring. The winner would be the one who was not forced to forfeit. No one wanted to lose, not to any of the others. An air of competition filled the cafeteria as Ritsuka-kun chose the first real target, and the game began in earnest.
"Emiya, truth or dare?"
The red archer, still disgruntled that he had to participate at all, begrudgingly said, "Truth."
"Have you ever slept with another man before?" the question lept out of the master's mouth as if he had been wondering for a long time.
"Yes," came the blunt, one word response.
"Really?! Who with?!" Astolfo asked.
"I don't believe details are required to answer the question," the counter guardian replied, not even giving the hero sitting next to him the favor of looking their way.
"Aw Archer, don't be such a stick in the mud," scolded Cu Chulainn the Caster. "Tell us about it."
The smile on Caster's face and the blood vein beginning to jump in Archer's neck made the masters begin to wonder if Caster knew something about Emiya's mysterious rendezvous.
"No," Emiya said flatly.
"Spoil sport," Caster muttered quietly enough that only Merlin, who was sitting next to the mage of Ulster, could hear.
"Lancer," picked Emiya, who had not managed to break the habit of calling Cu Chulainn that from the fifth Holy Grail War, "truth or dare?"
"Dare," said the blue haired lancer confidently. He both was wary of Archer's shred cleverness and wanted to prove that he was not too afraid to take on a challenge.
Archer's mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smirk. That was the answer he had been hoping to get. "I dare you to summon your spear, point it into the air and shout 'Gay Bulge' as loud as you can."
The female master covered her mouth with her hand, doing her best to hide her growing smirk. Lancer cocked an eyebrow, clearly not understanding Emiya's motivations.
"Alright, that's not difficult," he said dismissively. Summoning the legendary spear, he posed dramatically for the group to see, one foot rested on the end of the bench. He hoisted the spear into the air as if he were aiming to launch the weapon over some wall. Taking a deep breath, he shouted "GAY BULGE!" Energy snapped and crackled around the spear as if Lancer had begun to charge up his noble phantasm.
The entire room burst into laughter.
"Lancer," Arturia gasped, "that was almost disgraceful to your heroic name, but I can't seem to stop laughing."
Both masters were laughing too hard to speak, sides heaving erratically. Caster Cu Chulainn, who had anticipated this outcome, just gave Lancer a pitying look as Merlin and Caster Gilgamesh giggled beside him. Berserker, clearly feeling the embarrassment of his alter, leaned towards Emiya, vengeance looming in his eyes.
"There there Berserker Cu," Astolfo stepped in, placing his head directly in Berserker's line of sight. "There's no need to get so upset, it's only fun and games." He was doing his best to diffuse a potentially dangerous bomb.
Berserker withdrew, but still glared menacingly at the red archer. Emiya was too caught up in his stifled laughter to notice, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.
Lancer, the growl of a wild dog rumbling in his throat, found himself unprepared for his audience's reaction. "ARCHER!" he barked, "Truth or dare."
"I believe it is against the rules to ask me directly after I asked you," reminded Emiya.
"Since when have you been so hung up on the rules," commented Lancelot quietly. There had been some tension between him and Emiya ever since Lancelot had discovered the archer had once fancied the King of Knights.
"Fine," spat Cu Chulainn. "Merlin, truth or dare."
"Truth," decides the wise mage, amusement still dancing in his eyes.
This causes Lancer pause. He takes a moment to consider the best question to ask of the incubus. "If you had to pick, which king would you rather serve, Gilgamesh or Arturia?"
As innocent as the question sounded leaving Lancer's mouth, the connotations of the question were a bit of a trigger point between two specific heroic spirits in the room. Their attention had immediately snapped to Merlin, whose front of confidence faltered for a moment. The room grew steadily quieter as Merlin pondered the question.
"That is a difficult to answer, for both kings have excellent merits that the other does not. I think, as my pride and joy, I would be most honored to serve King Arthur, if the decision were up to me." He then bowed his snow white head to Arturia, "My Lord."
"And I would be honored to accept should the circumstance arise," replied the King of Knights, bowing in return.
Bedivere shifted uncomfortable upon the table, knowing that this exact question had been haunting Arturia since they had discovered Merlin in Mesopotamia.
Gilgamesh the Caster, who was sitting next to Merlin, appeared tense as he sipped his wine. "I hope you do not come to regret that decision mongrel," he commented.
"Come now Gil, I made no real decision on the matter. The question was hypothetical in nature. Had I really been forced to make that choice, it would not come without heavy personal sacrifice. There is no need to be so angry." Merlin laid a palm on the other caster's shoulder.
The other servants, and even the masters, who did not know the King of Heroes so well, hadn't even noticed Gilgamesh's upset, at least not until they turned and saw the golden archer practically fuming at Camelot's mage. Yet, he held his tongue.
"Moving on. Mashu, would you prefer a truth or a dare?" Merlin asked gently.
"I dunno. It seems neither option is any easier than the other." In that moment, Mashu voiced a fact that only a small few of the other servants had yet to realize.
"Do not fret youngster, I promise not to be cruel to you," Merlin reassured.
"Ok, dare then."
Merlin thought for a moment. "Kiss one of the masters," he finally said.
"Oh," Mashu said, blushing bright red. "Which one?"
"That, my dear, you have to choose for yourself," Merlin answered.
Everyone expected Mashu to stutter and be indecisive. Everyone expected her to blush and get so nervous she couldn't move. Everyone expected the adorable shielder to end up chickening out of this dare out of pure embarrassment. To everyone's surprise, Mashu sucked in a deep breath, leaned over, and kissed Ritsuka-chan's cheek.
"Me?!" she squeaked, blushing scarlet and avoiding all eye contact.
Cu Chulainn gave a wolf whistle.
"Does that really count?" asked Arturia.
"I think it satisfies all the requirements of my dare," said Merlin, winking at Mashu.
"Right," Mashu said, clearing her throat. Her confidence was uncharacteristic, yet very becoming of the young lady. "Lancelot, truth or dare?" The steadiness of her voice and evenness of her expression gave the other servants an inkling that something was out of place in the young shielder. Yet it was only the masters and Bedivere who picked up the reason for Mashu's change in demeanor.
"Dare." The Knight of the Lake commits to the choice without even considering that sweet, innocent Mashu may have sinister motives.
Mashu's face remains expressionless as she says, "On hands and knees, with your honor at stake, praise me as a knight superior to you and all your glory. Tell me, despite all of your arrogance, in light of all of your faults, that I, your son, became a better knight than you ever were."
The room became deathly silent. The Knights of the Round Table all sat frozen around Lancelot, holding their breath. Rigidly, Lancelot stood up from his seat, and crossed the open space to kneel before Mashu.
"Galahad, my dear son; there has never been a doubt in my mind that you were not just a better knight than your father, but the best knight out of any man I ever knew." He bowed his head, not able to bear looking into Mashu's face any longer. "If you will accept it, I would pledge my honor to that fact. Although, that honor might not be worth very much anymore. As you said, my life was littered with unforgivable mistakes."
Reaching out, Mashu rested a hand on the saber's shoulder. "I forgive you," she said.
To the others in the room, the statement didn't make much sense, but to the two heroes, those three words said more than any millions that could have passed between them. Arturia, familiar with their strained relationship, smiled proudly at her knights. Lancelot looked close to bursting into tears, barely restraining from pulling Mashu into a tight hug. Although most of the onlookers were not privy to the context of the exchange, most breathed out a sigh of relief or let out a chuckle at the father and son duo.
After Lancelot had composed himself and returned to his seat, he chose the next person to go. "Astolfo, truth or dare?"
"Alright! I get a turn. Dare! I pick a dare!" Astolfo gushed excitedly. "Do your worst," they said, voice lowering dramatically.
"What a shame, I had the perfect truth for you," Lancelot sighed quietly to his companions.
"Is there a way you can turn it into a dare?" Bedivere suggested.
"That, my friend, is an excellent idea," Lancelot conferred quietly. "Ok Astolfo, prove to us all here, once and for all, beyond a shadow of a doubt, whether you are a boy or a girl."
"Really, you all are still stuck on that?" Astolfo said exasperated. "Fine, fine. If this is really what you all want."
Jumping off the table, Astolfo strode to the center of the clearing. In one fell swoop, the hero slid their skirt to the floor. A general jumping and surprised squealing traveled around the group. Ritsuka-chan quickly slapped her hand over Mashu's eyes. Lancelot and Gawain did the same for Arturia, who immediately scolded them both and reminded them how they traipsed around nude in front of her themselves during their youth. Cu Chulainn the berserker leaned around casually, doing his best to peer around at Astolfo's front.
Crossing his arms and staring around the group, Astolfo said with conviction, "If there are any further questions I'd be happy to show you more."
"That's unnecessary," said Lancelot quickly, gesturing for Astolfo to pull up his skirt.
Astolfo redressed and returned to his spot on the table. Emiya noticeable sifted away from him slightly, looking uncomfortable. "Now then, how about you Ritsuka-chan. Truth or dare Master?"
"How about a dare, I'm feeling up to it." the bubbly girl replies.
"Ok, show everyone here what color panties you are wearing tonight!" Astolfo giggled.
"Wha- Astolfo!" Ritsuka-chan exclaimed. "That's not fair- No!" She wasn't able to put together a coherent sentence from the shock.
"What's unfair about it? I just showed everyone my genitals, a little bit of cloth shouldn't be out of the question," Astolfo responded.
"But-"
"Are you going to chicken out?" Ritsuka-kun asked, smiling mischievously.
She would be the first one to chicken out, and Ritsuka-chan knew this. Scrunching up her nose and clenching her fists, the Chaldea master drew upon all of her courage. Standing up, she turned around and lifted up the hem of her skirt. To the crowd behind her, Ritsuka-chan revealed a very regular pair of pink and white stripped panties. Her eyes were shut tight and her knees were pulled inwards as embarrassment flooded her body. She missed the nods of approval and look of slight disappointment on Ritsuka-kun's face. He had been hoping to tease her about being the first to chicken out over a clothing reveal.
She did not miss the golden archer's arrogant command. "Turn around mongrel, I cannot see."
This caused Ritsuka-chan to start, dropping her skirt and turning furiously to Gilgamesh. "That isn't my problem!"
"I believe you were supposed to show us all your under garments, and I could not see," he replied, chin held high and self-righteous smirk fixed firmly to his face.
"And I did, you not choosing to get a better look is not my fault," Ritsuka-chan huffed, sitting back down. "Right Astolfo?"
"Absolutely," Astolfo chimed in, sniggering at their banter. "And they were quite lovely. Gilgamesh, you really missed out. Tell me, are you wearing a matching brassiere?"
The small red head nodded before quickly catching herself. "You don't get to ask a question and give a dare in the same turn, that's cheating," she scolded, hoping that no one had caught her slip up.
Everyone had, but on one was interested in pointing it out to the already flustered master.
"Alright then Gilgamesh," Ritsuka-chan continued, staring pointedly at the golden archer, "truth or dare?"
"Truth, I doubt you are capable of creating a dare that would truly challenge me," Gilgamesh the archer proclaimed.
"Have you ever considered sleeping with another version of yourself? I mean, it's basically masturbating isn't it?" she asked.
This question caused many of the servants around the clearing began pondering the idea themselves. Most servants had an alter of some kind, although their relationships with their alters varied greatly. Cu Chulainn, for one, had a notably good relationship with most of his other selves. At the moment, both his caster form and present lancer form caught each other stealing glances. Berserker, who's gaze was being careful avoided by the other two, fixed the young lancer with a blank stare, one that remained for a very long time.
Gilgamesh sighed, as if the question bored him. "I am a pursuer of limitless pleasure. Should even a trifle notion of unknown excitement come into my awareness I am apt to try it. Your question is meaningless mongrel."
"That doesn't answer the question," Emiya pointed out.
"There is no need to answer a question that already has a suitable answer," Gilgamesh said, finding no flaw in his reasoning.
"I think that's against the rules," Ritsuka-kun added in.
"I am the rules," Gilgamesh states, clearly believing the conversation to be over.
Across the clearing, Gilgamesh the caster was nodding in agreement, much to the bemusement of Merlin and the annoyance of Lancer Cu Chulainn.
The rest of the evening drew on with the same level of hi-jinks. A few bouts were quickly culled by the more level headed in the group, and Ritsuka-kun only felt worried that he might have to use a command seal once. Cu Chulainn the caster ended up being the first of the group to chicken out, when a dare came up that he deemed too embarrassing to attempt, although the wording was innocent enough. Merlin found such wisdom to be worth complimenting and it sparked a conversation between the two that left them majorly distracted for the rest of the night.
The game came to an end when someone had finally worked up the courage to as the berserker 'truth or dare.' Cu Chulainn had not responded to the question at all, and just stared Gawain down silently. Once the uncomfortable silence had stretched on too long, Ritsuka-chan decided to end the game for the night. It was a late night at Chaldea after all, and time for everyone to turn in.