"Ugh, why do I feel so weeeak." The Master of Chaldea whined, before having her face stuffed with another rice ball, courtesy of a recently revived Mash Kyrielight. She'd love to feed herself, were her body not still stabilizing.
Also were both of her arms not currently seized by Serenity and Kiyohime. The lunch table simultaneously being surrounded by Medea, Ushiwakamaru, Drake, Little Okita, Cat and several other servants didn't help her prospects of being able to move.
Or breathe.
Another plate of food was dropped unceremoniously onto the table by a still rather stressed Emiya. "I don't know, maybe because we've had to reconstitute most of your body. Think of it as punishment for abusing what your mother taught you."
"But dad, I was saving the world-" Gudako's protest was swiftly silenced by a soft slap to the back of the head.
"Chew first, talk after. And I don't think that excuse will fly with anyone here who saw your state yesterday."
Seventeen Hours Earlier
"We've lost signals for Mash! No response!"
The other servants gathered at the control room after being forcibly ejected out of the Solomon Singularity. Surely that meant she'd just been ejected too. Bated breaths stared at the coffins, where they'd appeared close to.
Nothing happened.
"We've got an audio connection! It's not great, but it'll do!"
A scream of anguish and fury echoed through the chamber, chilling all present. Not of someone being physically hurt, but something far, far more personal.
Considering it was their Master's voice- if barely recognizable- the implications were clear.
"Magical output rising! Second divinity signal detected!" Another technician warned, trying to interpret the incomplete data. Little about it made sense, but then again, nothing about the last master of humanity made sense.
"I'll kill you- I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" The sounds of battle resumed, metal and flesh, magic and fire battering each other incessantly. Gudako's incoherent screaming still sounded louder than them all.
"Master-" The murmur around the room mirrored the servant's concern. While the young woman they fought with was unusual by actively participating in battles instead of giving commands from the sidelines, to have her face a god, alone- no single servant would be able to do it, not even those based on Divine Spirits.
Yet, at the end of the world, the Beast screamed murder. Vengeance at any cost.
"Second divinity signal overtaking Goetia's! Magical output is outside measure range!"
"Da Vinci, we're losing sensors in her combat outfit!"
The genius of Chaldea jolted out of her daze, looking over at one of the screens from the support staff. Blinking red warnings spread in a wave through the diagram of Gudako's body, fading into black as they went.
"Oh no. Is she losing?" Tremors shook the entire facility once more, yet no one cared. There was nothing else they could do for the fate of the world.
"Negative! Round Table integrity holding at a hundred percent! Goetia's signals falling!"
"Secondary divinity still rising!"
"That godsdamned idiot." Emiya's voice was the only one that was able to be heard over the screaming that risked burning out the speakers in the command room. All heads turned towards the Archer
"She's gone berserk. She won't stop burning more Od until that thing doesn't exist anymore." His expression darkened while the unholy sound continued to permeate the room.
Da Vinci knew, more or less, how Gudako's magical circuits worked- if only because of information from the Heroic Spirit of her father. Reinforcement spells, cast on her own body and practiced to the point of becoming an innate ability. Such a use for the magecraft was rare, but not unheard of.
Doing it to the degree the Master of Chaldea did, however, very much was. Even for those of famous families, it was an exceedingly dangerous ability- the chance of irreparable damage to both magical circuits and body rose exponentially with the amount of Od employed.
The amount that the red haired mage used on a daily basis should have destroyed her physical presence several times over, yet it never did. Until now.
"I'll be right back. Get her out of there for me, will you?" Before the acting commander of Chaldea could respond, the Archer had already disappeared out of the door.
"Hey."
She felt light. It was nice.
"Guda."
Why did Eresh have dad's voice? She was supposed to meet with Eresh in the afterlife. She saved humanity, didn't she? Her Authority should not be bringing her back.
"Kid!"
At least Mash was the last thing she saw. She really hoped her Kouhai went to a nice place.
"Your mother will be furious at us."
EMERGENCY EMERGENCY WAKE THE FU-
"-dad?" The bright lights of Chaldea's ceiling felt like burning in her eyes. Eyes? An attempt at blinking corrected that thought.
Eye. Singular. That didn't bode well. A mop of pink hair at the corner of her sight sent her heart racing- or not. In fact, she couldn't feel her chest at all.
Mom really will be furious.
"Mash?" Her voice didn't feel right either. But that didn't matter if Mash was here. Nothing else mattered if Mash was here.
"I'm here Senpai!" The Kouhai's face hovered above, tears falling on the inside of her glasses. Gudako tried to reach up and touch her girlfriend's cheek to comfort her on instinct. Only a mess of raw magical circuits surrounded by leftover Od moved into view.
The effort to not grab the ephemeral 'limb' was still visible on the Shielder's face.
"So. You've destroyed your body through reinforcement." The Master of Chaldea looked down, catching the best 'I'm not angry at you, I'm just disappointed' expression that the servant version of her father could muster.
It wasn't quite Rin Tohsaka levels, but he was definitely learning.
"I guess I did." She really didn't have much of an argument. "How bad is it?"
"I could fit you in a bowl." He shook his head.
"That's bad." Gudako understated.
"Very bad. And that's why I'll need your help to use this." Emiya raised a Grail into his daughter's field of view, smiling mischievously.
"We're going to abuse one of them to fix me?" The redheaded mage tried to smile back. That proved to be difficult without most of a mouth.
"Oh gods no, there's no way a Grail would be powerful enough to fix this mess. Which is why we're going to abuse two." A copy of the magical object joined the first in her sight.
"Bitchin'"
"You're having too much fun with this, Mash." The redheaded mage complained lightheartedly, arms wrapped around the Shielder's shoulders. Said servant smiled innocently.
"What are you talking about, Senpai? This is just so you recover faster."
She also lied as naturally as she breathed. Gudako pondered that perhaps teaching her girlfriend deception might not have been the best idea, despite how fun it was to corrupt such a pure soul.
Maybe being princess-carried through the halls of Chaldea with a- and there was no other word for it- precession of her other lovers in tow was her punishment.
Could be worse.
They could all be having second, third and fourth intentions all at the same time. Gudako was good, but there was a limit to the number of appendages she had. Unless dad finally taught her Projection.
It'd be a horrendous misuse of magic, which immediately made it a worthy endeavour.
"Alright, please disperse, Master needs rest now, not a harem." Boudica's gentle but firm voice ushered most of the group out of the mage's room- with the exception of the everpresent pink-haired Kouhai, and Medea.
The former because she had special girlfriend benefits, the latter because of her skills at healing magecraft- and lover benefits as well.
A tired sigh escaped the Beast's lips at the pleasant softness of her bed. Maybe being pampered wasn't too bad, once in a while.
"Boudica?" Gudako's voice was softer than usual whenever she spoke with the older woman. It wasn't something conscious, but the Rider understood that her Master trusted in her in a very special way. Something none of her lovers shared, and that she hoped never would share.
"Yes, Master?" She took the hand offered, being pulled weakly into a hug.
"Thank you. For being here." The Queen of Victory smiled bittersweetly where no one would see.
"You don't need to thank me, Master. You're a good person." And she loved being able to help the young woman, she really did. It was just a bit-
Too familiar.
But those thoughts could be dealt with on her own.
Unfortunately, her introspection was interrupted by the pile of servants that fell from the other side of the door the moment the older woman meant to leave.
"I will get my chariot."
Considering the dangerous tone of voice, the rest of the harem wisely decided to actually disperse this time. 3-star servant or not, a level 90 angry woman was not something to be trifled with.
"Archer?" Da Vinci approached the man who watched the spectacle from a distance in the corridor.
"Yes?" He didn't deem to face her. The question was obvious.
"What is your daughter?" Od Reinforcement the genius could accept- after all, mages with weirder specialities existed. The divinity signal when hard-pressed was something else entirely.
Not to mention the 'surviving with 90% of her body gone' stunt.
A moment stretched into a near eternity while the Heroic Spirit of Shirou Emiya pondered if he even had a good answer to that question.
"What she needs to be."
"Good boy Chrys." Gudako cooed, petting the golden ram. She could feel the healing magic flowing from its fleece to her body, helping to regain her strength slowly but surely.
Considering the fluffy animal was softly bleating and rubbing its head against her hand, it was probably enjoying it too.
"Alright, that's enough for today." Medea's staff tapped against the ground softly, issuing the command for Chrysomallos to dematerialize, much to the young mage's dismay.
"But it was so fluffy!" She pouted while laying on her side in bed, which almost made the purple-haired woman reconsider. Almost.
"I am still unsure of just how your magical circuits are still in one piece after what you did. Even if it is to further heal your body, I won't risk overloading them. Perhaps some time convalescing will discourage you from repeating such a reckless feat."
The magus's expression made the 'or else' at the end of her sentence thoroughly clear.
They'd been fighting together for nigh on a year at this point, and with her Master being a sincere, kind girl that wore cute clothes- well, one thing led to another.
The girl had even somehow managed to make her feel no resentment to the other lovers in the circle, something Medea had never thought even vaguely possible.
Sometimes she felt that Gudako's ability at making women feel loved and accepted, plus the time management skills necessary to be able to make none of them feel ignored were mildly terrifying.
"Sorry. I know I made you worry. All of you." Golden eyes had the decency to look away in shame.
"Good, you should be sorry." Mash pinched her Master's cheek with more power than what was comfortable, leaning over from her place sitting at the edge of the bed in front of her girlfriend's lap.
"-uuu. Oh! That reminds me!" The last master of humanity's eyes brightened, focusing on the witch again. "Remember those ships I've shown you? Now that the world is back, I should be able to order you the model kits!"
Medea did not gasp. The princess of Colchis, apprentice of Circe, Magus from the Age of Gods does not gasp at the premise of building miniature ships.
"...those dreadnoughts, ships the size of whole cities, made of steel and steam?"
But that didn't mean she wasn't interested.
"Yep!" Gudako beckoned her closer conspiratorially, catching the Caster's attention hook, line and sinker.
It was only after the woman had leaned down and their faces were mere centimeters apart that she noticed her Master's eyes changing from excited to lurid, and the warm hand sneaking towards her nape.
By then, it was too late. The redheaded mage's knowledge about all her weak points was put to vicious use, the gentle caresses at the roots of purple hair and following the line of pointed ears shut down all higher thought, leaving Medea completely defenseless when soft lips touched hers and a soft tongue searched for hers.
It was all she could do to stabilize herself over her lover and sink into the sensations, letting out a sigh while her body relaxed. For her part, Mash tried to not giggle like a schoolgirl seeing something she shouldn't.
The Shielder almost succeeded.
From what little she was able to learn about relationships in her life before meeting Gudako- mostly through media- the pink haired young woman thought jealousy was a universal trait.
Turns out, not so much.
Perhaps it was her Master's complete honesty at all times. After all, if there is no betrayal of trust, then the reasons for anger start to disappear.
Perhaps it was how no matter how many women were added to the group, none were ever left wanting for attention nor love. After all, if there is no fear of losing the affection of someone important to you, the reasons for possessiveness start to disappear.
On top of that, considering Gudako more than supported the Demi-Servant's own triangle with Serenity, it'd be extremely hypocritical of herself to not do so as well.
Maybe some people would never understand why she felt happy at seeing other people who deserved love receive the same warm joy she did, but that was alright. Senpai would always be at her side. All was right with the world.
In the meantime, Medea had managed to disentangle herself from her Master. Just.
"In front of Mash, no less. You are truly a demon." The smile that threatened to break out in her expression despite being viciously held back, together with the blush reaching pointed ears, disarmed much of the disapproval meant to be portrayed.
"Don't worry, I'll still get those kits as a gift for you." Gudako smiled innocently, any chastisement flowing off of her like water.
"How crass of you to think I am so easily bought." The witch resolutely made her way out of the room, before stopping at the open door.
"It better be an all-metal one." The hurried whisper was almost covered by the sound of the mechanism closing.
No sooner were the two alone that the Shielder pounced on her Master, holding her tightly. The redheaded mage was all too happy to comply, wrapping her arms around her Kouhai and nuzzling into the side of her neck.
Only after a long, deep breath of her girlfriend's scent, did Gudako finally relax slightly. "Please don't scare me like that again. I don't think I can take it."
Mash pulled back just enough to look her girlfriend in the eye, finding a comfortable position on top of the other woman. "Not scare you? How about you terrifying all of us yesterday, Senpai!? You didn't need to use that much Reinforcement to beat Goetia. I know how strong you are!"
"I'm sorry, I-" The last master of humanity pondered what to say, before deciding that it would be better to come clean about everything. Who knew if she might have another chance.
"When I saw the Round Table there, and you were gone. I didn't want to come back." Gudako avoided her eyes in hindsight shame.
The Demi-Servant's eyes widened, expression sharpening in near insult. "You were killing yourself on purpose-? But what about Serenity! Or Medea! Or Ushi! Or Eresh!" Each name was marked with a firm poke of her finger against her lover's shoulder.
"How could you do that to them!?"
"I know, I know." Her voice was barely above a whisper, sneaking one hand behind Mash's head and softly pulling her closer. "I'm sorry. You know when it comes to one of you being in danger or-" She didn't want to say it. "- or worse, I don't really think straight."
The Shielder had to admit that the track record did check out. Her Senpai's rampages in Camelot and Babylonia had become the stuff of legend amongst the Chaldean staff- woe betide man or beast who put itself between Gudako and one of her lovers, even if it wasn't the same version she had a bond to, for death and destruction headed their way.
And fast.
"That might be an explanation, but it's not an excuse." Still, Mash rested her head against her girlfriend's chest, holding her tightly.
"I know. It's just- You know that I love all of you from the bottom of my heart, right?" The golden-eyed mage asked, gently caressing the roots of pink hair under her fingertips. The other woman nodded mutely.
"But when it comes to you, Mash, I- is there a word stronger than 'love'? There needs to be a word stronger than love. You're my girlfriend, my first servant, my first and best friend. I have no idea what I'd do without you. I'd just come apart." Gudako opened her heart, letting the one person she loved most in the world look past the facade of humanity's saviour.
"Senpai? What do you mean first friend?" The Shielder looked up from her resting place, still keeping in as much contact as she could with her Master. That didn't make sense, the woman under her was incredible- powerful, kind, loving, charming. She might be horribly biased, but clearly plenty of other people agreed.
"Did I ever tell you why I'm registered in Chaldea with just my first name? Or why I knew how to fight before I even came here?" She took a deep breath, steeling herself to break her lover's image of an 'average, unremarkable Senpai' even more- if not of her own fault.
"No, you haven't." Mash wanted to hear this- she wanted to know more about her girlfriend. But something told her she wasn't going to like what she heard.
"Do you know what the Mage's Association does when a couple who were esteemed members, people that worked at their headquarters just a month previously, destroy the Great Grail? To stop the wars and save thousands of lives, if not all of humanity?" Gudako asked, her temper slowly flaring.
"No?" Surely they must be rewarded for that act, but-
"Brand them as Terrorists. Excommunicate them. Hunt them down to the ends of the earth for almost two decades.
Send assassin after agent after servant after assassin to kill them. And their daughter. Because the Association wanted the Great Grail, and what the Association wants, it gets. Or else." Gudako didn't bother controlling the deep-seated anger in her voice. It was the first time in her life she got to vent about this.
"Senpai…" The Demi-Servant's heart tightened while realizing the reason behind many of her master's traits.
"We never stayed in one place for more than six months. I went to school once, when I was ten years old. A quiet girl that sat next to me stabbed me in the neck five minutes after the final bell rang. When I tried saying 'hi'. So, yeah."
The mage deadpanned, attempting to use comedy to deflect her real feelings about the matter.
Conflict broiled within the Kouhai's chest. A part of her was happy that her lover was much more like herself than she ever realized. Another part was appalled that she'd be happy at the suffering of her girlfriend. And a last one was mildly hurt that it took this long for Gudako to mention any of this.
"-Mash?" The redhead's vulnerable tone broke the Shielder out of her internal battle. "I'm sorry. I'm not what you wanted." Her golden eyes were so dimmed that it made Kyrielight's chest hurt.
"Senpai- please don't judge yourself against a naive ideal I had a long time ago." The pink-haired woman shuffled higher against the warm body under her, embracing the last master of humanity warmly.
The combat-suit clad arms around her, previously on the verge of letting go, tightened again- determined to never, ever let the Demi-Servant go.
"I know things have been difficult but- they should be better now. We shouldn't need to fight anymore." Mash smiled tentatively. Gudako couldn't help but return it.
"I love you, you know that? A lot." It couldn't be more true. To not just be able to trust someone, but truly form a connection with them, as deep as possible- it was intoxicating. The Beast of Humanity couldn't get enough of it, her girlfriend most of all.
"I love you t-" The shrill tone of the redhead's phone interrupted the Shielder, eliciting a groan from its owner when sore muscles stretched to reach it. Once the password was entered, the body currently squished between a soft bed and a softer Kouhai froze in horror.
02 - INCOMING CALL
26 MISSED CALLS
Mash watched in confusion while her master pressed the green prompt and brought the device up to her ear, eyes wide in aprehension. They were close enough for her to be able to hear three beeps before a voice came through.
"Casper." The person on the other side said coolly.
"Melchior." Gudako delivered the counter password, preemptively distancing the phone from her ear.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?" The small electronic speaker tried its best to convey the data it was being fed, to limited success. Maybe, in a different world, one where it was an order of magnitude more capable, it'd be able to properly reproduce the scream. One that sounded suspiciously like Ishtar, the Demi-Servant noticed.
"Hi mom." The mage winced, her left eardrum still tingling. As for Mash, the Shielder's brain was wondering something, but it couldn't possibly be true.
The redhead continued. "I'm fine. World ended. Saved the world. Brought you all back. Killed a god or three. Took about a year." Her tone was almost comically nonchalant, considering the contents of the information dump.
"We've noticed! Our probes in the Association have been going insane since yesterday, their Headquarters is a hornet's nest right now. How safe are you over there?" Mash recognized that voice from Emiya- likely the human version, and her lover's actual father.
"Uh-" Gudako pondered for a minute, looking at the pink-haired woman on top of her. "-I have total trust from what's left of Chaldea's staff, and around a hundred servants ready to go."
The line went just about silent for a moment, with only indistinct whispering from the other side. Her mother's voice was now significantly more composed.
"Did you just say one hundred?"
"Give or take. Been a while since I've done an exact count. I've got dad too." Not like she could take more than a few at once through a rayshift. But if the matter was more worldly-
"That idiot better have been taking good care of you. But still- this could change everything." Another beat. "Your dad and I will be running interference on any Association expedition to Chaldea, but we won't be able to keep them busy forever. Stay in contact this time, understood? We were worried sick." For the first time in the call, the tone was actually affectionate.
"So were we!" Mash blurted out before thinking, quickly trying to take her words back. It was too late. No amount of trying to bury herself into her lover's body would make her disappear into the aether. Gudako sighed, smiling despite herself.
"And who would 'we' be, miss?" The Shielder wondered just how hard she'd need to throw herself at the wall that divided her master's room and the freezing snow outside so she'd break through, to be able to bury her head in panic. Or at least go unconscious.
"Mom, dad, meet my girlfriend, Mash Kyrielight. Love, meet Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya, my parents." The mage accepted the video connection, showing the couple on one end- and a mop of pink hair desperately trying to hide against the Beast's chest on the other.
"-Oh!" The surprise on the black haired mage's face was palpable for a second, before she managed to cover it with a layer of politeness.
"Nice to meet you, miss Kyrielight. I would say that I hoped Gudako hadn't been giving you too much trouble, but clearly that's not the case. You have my permission to slap her in the back of the head if she gives you grief again."
Her expression betrayed not a hint of jest.
"Mooom-" The master of Chaldea whined, covering her face in embarrassment. Mash couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable sight.
"I'm not that bad." The redhead looked at the woman still cuddled on top of her. "Am I?"
Said woman made an event of pondering the question, causing her girlfriend to react in mock betrayal. "I don't know. I can at least say you haven't made a habit of giving us heart attacks." At least her voice made the joke clear.
"Lies and slander!" Gudako proclaimed, pinching her lover's cheeks playfully.
"I guess all of those visual novels of hers really did work-" Rin muttered to herself, managing to avoid getting heard by her daughter. Just.
"Anyway, when you said 'us', I'm guessing she has been able to maintain good relations with the servants as well?" Tohsaka inquired, curious about her possible daughter-in-law's constant usage of plural pronouns.
"Ah, yes! Senpai has been a great master for everyone. But I was referring more to her other lovers." Mash replied innocently. The Grand Berserker steeled herself for something she knew might happen one day.
"I see. How many, perchance?" The older mage's eyes narrowed.
"Let's see- me, Medea, Serenity, Ushi, Drake, Eresh, Astolfo, Little Okita, Medusa, Kiyo, Iiishtar?-" The Shielder trailed off, unsure of that last one. And having run out of fingers.
Gudako tilted her head to the side in thought. "Kind of? Mostly casual with her."
Rin sighed, looking sideways at the redhead man hovering over her shoulder. "Well, as long as everyone's happy."
Shirou looked at his wife. Back at the phone. Back at his wife. "-What?"
"Nevermind." Tohsaka cut off the train of thought, focusing on the call once more. "We'll keep you up to speed on our efforts here. You do the same, understood?"
"Roger that mom, dad. It's nice to see you again." The master smiled.
Her mother smiled back, the first time in the call. "We'll always do everything we can for you, dear. Ciao."
The pair rested in bed for a moment, enjoying eachother's warmth and scent. Gudako took a deep breath. "Well, now you know everything, Mash. Including my parents."
The lavender-haired woman smiled, settled happily on top of her girlfriend. "They seem nice. I'm happy to have met them, Senpai- though I guess I already knew Emiya."
The Beast nodded. "Technically from another timeline, but no one's counting. And now you also understand the whole thing with Ishtar and Eresh."
The Shielder took a moment to make the connection, before looking up with slowly widening eyes. "They-oh. Oh. Oh. That explains an awful lot." She gave it further thought.
"But if you didn't feel comfortable, why not turn them down, Senpai? You've kept many other servants on a strictly platonic limit."
Gudako looked away for a second, consternated. "I don't know, normally I would but- at least with Eresh, it just hurt my heart to do it. She did her best to connect with me, so turning her down just because of her appearance being-" The master searched for not too blunt a word to use- "familiar was too cruel."
Mash poked her lover's cheek, grinning. "You really are a big softie with girls, aren't you?"
The redhead hugged her tighter in return, before shrugging theatrically. "Yes, I am well aware of my propensity for being a gay disaster. Either way, that's why I was busy reconfiguring my brain after Babylonia- It's not like I had an Oedipus complex."
"I-" The Demi-Servant wondered. "-is it still called Oedipus if it's lesbian?" Her eyebrows scrunched in intense thought.
"I have absolutely no idea. Maybe we can ask Da Vinci." Gudako offered. "Also, I know it's not exactly the right thing to do, but can you still keep it a secret from those two?" She asked tentatively.
"Keeping secrets is never good, Senpai." The disappointed expression from her Kouhai hit the mage straight in the guilt organ.
"It isn't, and I hope I can tell them one day, if we manage to get everything calmed down. I don't even think Ishtar would care much, but you know Eresh would literally try to bury herself alive out of shame." The Beast argued.
Mash's face immediately fell. "She actually would." Sighing, the Shielder let the matter drop. "I certainly sympathize, but relating is a bit-" The rest of the phrase, and following implications, were left in the air.
Gudako caressed the roots of her girlfriend's hair gently. "It's alright, I understand."
Despite rejection being not an option, the Demi-Servant still preferred not to bring up her past- not that it made much of a difference, given her Master's habit of sharing the dreams of Servants, especially those close to her.
Some Months Prior
Romani Achaman groaned with pain after one of the smooth walls of Chaldea found his back and head at concerning velocity-
Courtesy of a certain mage pinning his neck with her forearm and growling at him, fiery locks flaring due to the energy reinforcing her body.
It was mostly his luck that the brunt of said energy only took effect after he was already against the wall, or he'd likely have joined one of the many, many people throughout the singularities which were personally killed by the Last Master of Humanity.
Judging by the dilated pupils staring a hole through him- and the pressure threatening to crush his windpipe- , he'd still earn a ticket to the club unless his next words were chosen very carefully.
"I can explain, Gudako." The lanky man sputtered with some effort.
"I knew I couldn't trust you. There was something off about you, there has always been something off about you. Start. Talking." The being growling at him was not human- that he knew for sure. Still, both his survival and humanity's was at stake.
So, Romani talked. His arrival at Chaldea, Marisbury's legacy, the experiments, Mash's origins and the tragic fate that awaited her. The Beast's eyes slowly widened in horror with each revelation, until-
"You made a Rei." The redhead's voice was hollow, trying to find any indication that it was all an awful joke. The assigned director had to admit, in retrospect, that she was more or less right. Shock was replaced with fury.
"YOU MADE A FUCKING REI!" His ears rang while Gudako's voice echoed through the cold hallway, his body protesting against the renewed pressure closing arteries which were vital to keep a brain alive.
"I didn't- She was already here- when I arrived-" The original chief medical officer tried to reinforce the point he made earlier. Not that it made much difference after The Beast saw her mate fall unconscious for no discernible reason less than twenty minutes before.
"And you're just going to WATCH while she fucking DIESafter dedicating what little life she had to save your worthless hide!" While the volume had gone back down- somewhat-, the sheer hatred behind the accusation burned far brighter.
That, and her eyes were literally glowing with the amount of Od being channeled into the straining muscles underneath Chaldea's own Combat Outfit.
"There's nothing-" he gagged, trying to breathe- "I can do. Her telomeres-" Before Romani could finish, ceiling became floor before becoming ceiling again, and he found himself in a heap several meters away from where the back of his head made an imprint on the wall.
Conscious even, to his own surprise- and further panicking when he noticed Gudako marching towards a very specific room of Chaldea.
Adrenaline overtook dizziness to send the doctor scrambling to his feet, struggling to catch up with the determined mage. "You can't! Those Grails are property of the Mage's Associa-"
Despite his apparent unreliability, there was very little that could make Romani Achaman freeze on the spot. The glare of Beast VIII visibly restraining herself against smashing a hole in his head, however, did the trick.
The redhead turned around and resumed her march wordlessly- to save her girlfriend, no matter the cost.
And if it also meant pissing off the Association?
Well, that was just a bonus.
Gudako hugged her Kouhai closer. "I might have no idea how it happened, but I'm just glad you're back, Mash."
For her part, the lavender-haired woman was all too happy to nuzzle on top of her lover. "I'm- I'm not quite sure either. One moment I was at the Temple with you, the next I'm waking up in the control room and you're screaming bloody murder over the comms."
"Huh, for once that saying works literally." The mage pondered.
The Shielder pinched her master's nose in retribution for being interrupted, before continuing. "The other Servants said I was gone for a good minute or two, but I don't remember anything from that time. Only that something brought me back-"
She hesitated to complete the sentence. Her girlfriend noticed.
"Mash, are you alright?" Gudako felt the pit of her stomach start to freeze, but the knowledge that they at least still had several Grails in storage stopped true panic setting in. Even if she had to use every last one of them to ensure the wellbeing of the woman laying on top of her, it wouldn't even be a question.
"Basically, yes. But something is off with my mana circuits. Da Vinci and the medical team haven't had the chance to fully check yet, but I might not be able to tap into Galahad anymore." She looked away, expecting disappointment.
"Oh, thank gods." The redhead sighed in relief, leaving her girlfriend looking mildly hurt. "Wait no, Mash-" she gently guided her lover's face to look at the mage again.
"Hon, I have a hundred Servants. You're an important part of my team, but I'll make do. There's only one you." Gudako poked the Shielder's forehead gently. "If that's the worst thing that comes out of this whole ordeal, I'll take it."
"There's- one more thing-" Beast VIII's mate fidgeted against the cleavage window of the Combat Uniform. Why something supposedly meant to be worn in combat had a cleavage window in the first place was another question entirely, but the only answer Da Vinci ever gave was 'breathability'.
"Yes, love?" The redhead smiled gently to comfort her Kouhai- obviously, whatever it was, made her horribly embarrassed.
"It also- swapped- that part-" Mash mumbled, hiding her face between her master's breasts.
"Hmm? I'm sorry, I couldn't catch what you've said." Gudako was getting concerned now.
A sound best described as 'a kettle starting to boil' escaped from the Shielder's face, her body starting to shake until a hand darted out to grab one of her lover's, quickly pressing it against the new addition between her thighs.
"THERE'S A DICK!" The Demi-Servant managed to splutter out, looking up at her girlfriend while blood completely flushed her face.
The Beast's eyebrows rose for a moment, before her face settled back on contentment. "I see."
"Bwuh-" Mash stared at her girlfriend in utter shock, before exploding. "What do you mean 'I see'!? You're the reason I was so worried about it!" The odd mix of shouting and whining almost made Gudako laugh.
"Why am I the reason you were worried about it?" Now the mage was rather confused.
"Because you're a raging lesbian, Senpai!" The lavender-haired woman argued exasperatedly, like having to explain to someone that the sky was blue.
The shielder watched her girlfriend's cheeks puff up before the woman broke down into hysterics, fierce enough to make Mash bounce from still laying on top of her lover. It did not reduce her exasperation in the least.
Gudako, for her part, managed to regain enough control of her diaphragm to ask a question, between giggles. "Did you forget about Astolfo, love?"
The Demi-Servant's face went blank for a second while her brain processed the information, before slowly sinking back against her master's breasts to hide from the world- which only served to make the woman beneath her to go from cackling to wheezing.
"I forgot he wasn't a girl." Mash's mortified voice managed to muffle its way out from her girlfriend's cleavage. It furthered Gudako's wheezing to squeaking while struggling to breathe.
"Please don't die, Senpai- and I was really worried about this. Don't bully."
Eventually, several tears later, the mage was able to recompose herself- even if she could still feel Mash pouting against her chest.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't-" The redhead took a long, shuddery breath. "I know I'm being mean, but it was too funny. How do you feel about it, Mash?"
"Eh? About the- thing?" The Shielder looked away. "I'm not really sure. I haven't had time to try anything." Still, one of her hands sneaked its way to the pressure release switch on the collar of her girlfriend's outfit, a hiss of air marking the suit loosening up from the body.
A red eyebrow rose at the Demi-Servant releasing one of Gudako's breasts from the offending clothing before latching onto it with her mouth- causing the eyelids that covered golden eyes to flicker at the sensation.
"I see you've found time." The beast smiled, instinctually caressing Mash's hair and holding her close gently.
"Never leave for tomorrow what can be done today, Senpai." The Kouhai answered nonchalantly, adjusting her body to be pressing against the one under her while caressing the other breast to the side of her face with a free hand. "And you're the one who corrupted everyone."
That earned Mash a mix of sigh and purr from Gudako, who at this point was thoroughly familiar with her lover's infatuation with that part of her body. She wasn't even sure why- the Shielder's own mounds were bigger. Then again, if sexual preferences had to make sense, the bedroom would be a much duller place.
"Everyone? Even Drake?" The master smiled crookedly.
"Almost everyone." The lavender-haired woman conceded, taking her girlfriend's free nipple into her mouth, sucking it gently while flicking her tongue across it on purpose, enjoying the feeling of it hardening and the accompanying gasp from Gudako.
It wasn't long before the Master of Chaldea was squirming involuntarily due to the heat spreading from her chest to the rest of her recently rebuilt body- for as much as she was used to Mash's favourite method of foreplay, it didn't make it any less effective- rather the opposite.
But she did notice something quite stiff rubbing against her thigh every time her lover rocked against her softly.
Still, the growing need of her mouth and lips won out in the end, gently displacing the Shielder's head from her chest and pulling it closer for a kiss. Tongues caressed each other while Gudako embraced the Demi-Servant with what little strength she'd been able to recover so far.
"I love you, Mash." The redhead managed to mumble while attempting to melt into her lover. It was, by all accounts, a valiant effort.
"I love you too, Senpai." The girlfriend smiled, taking a moment to pull back and stare lovingly at half-lidded golden eyes before diving back in for another deep kiss- while also helping her lover to untangle herself from the bright orange uniform that'd become ubiquitous partway through the Grand Order.
It did concern the Shielder how somewhere around their adventures through Camelot, Gudako had ditched her usual outfit entirely in favor of the combat focused garment.
While it seemed to make sense at the time, her master's refusal to go back to more casual clothing even after the ordeal had ended was a clear mirror to the mage's deteriorating mental and emotional condition- the biggest giveaway being paranoia about being ready for an attack at any time.
Whether in a singularity or not.
Granted, it had paid off on more than one occasion, but seeing the old, varied wardrobe gathering dust in a corner of her master's closet while copy upon copy of orange and white synthetic material filled the forefront made her sad, in a way.
Something had been lost, and she wasn't quite sure what.
Still, that was a concern for another time- according to Mash's instincts, indulging in her girlfriend's love was more important, at least right now. Perhaps she could make up for the loss through affection.
It was certainly worth a try.
"Uh- Mash?" Gudako asked somewhat awkwardly once the kiss was broken again, one of her hands having moved to caress her girlfriend's new addition. "How big is it, exactly?"
Now, the Master of Chaldea was not a size queen- at least, as far as she knew; most of her comparison database was just toys and Astolfo.
The Shielder's face flushed in response, unable to maintain eye contact. "I- I actually don't know. I've been too worried to check." A reluctant Demi-Servant pushed herself up from the nesting place on top of her lover, sitting back.
Some wiggling was necessary to get both skirt and tights down, especially with the offending member in the way- at least until said member was freed.
"It's- pretty big." The mage broke the silence. Indeed, it was almost the size of her forearm.
Mash covered her face with both hands despondently. "It's a no go, isn't it?"
With a hiss of effort, Gudako pushed herself into a sitting position to reach her girlfriend, taking one of her hands on hers to be able to look eachother in the eye. "That's not what I said, is it?" The redhead smiled mischievously. She hadn't broken out the evil drake toy when her girlfriend was around yet, so the mistake was understandable.
But Rin Tohsaka hadn't raised a quitter.
"-eh?" The Shielder's mind quickly reset to accept the new information. The sheer amount of expectation behind the look of her lover was combining with the smile in a way that did not make said effort any easier.
Sadly, while the soul is strong, the flesh is weak- at least recently restored flesh, which Gudako found out when the arm propping her up began to shake before failing entirely, sending the mage back to a lying position with a sheepish expression.
"I might not be able to do a lot today, though. I'm sorry, Mash."
The response came surprisingly quickly, and with a concerning amount of enthusiasm. "I can be on top this time, that way you don't need to move a lot, Senpai!"
In the Shielder's defense, her master had always been on top before. Not just with her, but according to the daily gatherings of the lover club, with everyone. No exceptions.
The way the Master of Chaldea's expression instantly fell pointed to the suggestion still being completely off-limits; and Mash just couldn't quite figure out why. It didn't seem to be just a preference, not with the flash of emotion that passed through Gudako's eyes the moment her girlfriend mentioned it.
A part of her wanted to recognize it as fear, but that wouldn't make sense.
The moment seemed to stretch into eternity while the redhead looked at the Demi-Servant, before taking a deep breath with clenched teeth while holding onto her lover's hand tighter than normal.
"I- we can try it. I think." A shaky smile set itself onto the mage's features, if through visible effort.
"Senpai, please." Mash pulled her lover's hand closer to her chest in worry. "It's alright, I don't want you to do something you dislike. I love you. We can wait." She shouldn't have asked in the first place, getting carried away never ends well-
"Mash." Gudako's soothing tone broke her girlfriend's worry spiral. "You're not forcing me to do anything. I want to give this a shot with you- I trust you." Beast VIII's hand moved to caress her Demi-Servant's cheek gently.
The Shielder smiled back. "Alright. But if you feel uncomfortable, please tell me to stop."
"I promise. But same with you, okay? It's the first time you'll be trying- well, it." The mage continued to caress her lover's face and ear, her own body starting to relax little by little. If there was anyone she'd be comfortable doing it with, it'd be Mash.
"Will do, Senpai." The lavender-haired woman finished disrobing her girlfriend and herself, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of their bodies sharing warmth and touch. But a very specific curiosity was nibbling at her mind.
"Could you- maybe try- using your mouth?" The Demi-Servant asked nervously, fidgeting with a lock of her lover's reddish orange hair.
Gudako's smile held a mix of mischief and reassurance. "Of course love. Can you come closer?"
Mash nodded, shifting her body up on the bed and just enough off to the side so her member was in reach of her master. Sitting on her knees with her legs spread was slightly awkward, but it allowed the redhead easy access- and allowed the shielder to caress her lover's hair at the same time.
For her part, Gudako nuzzled against the warm length, taking in the scent and exhaling with a purr. "It still smells like you. That makes me happy." Golden eyes glazed over almost immediately, but there was nothing she could truly do about it- her girlfriend's natural fragrance had a powerful soothing effect on the mage.
"But I'm sure I washed it properl-" The shielder attempted to argue, only to be stopped in her tracks by the sensation of a wet, warm tongue starting to lick the rather sensitive tip; bringing any thought process to a crashing halt.
"I know-" The Beast VIII sing-songed, muffled as it was by the constant kissing, nuzzling and licking. "It's why I said your smell. I love it." Rolling over onto her side had allowed Gudako to caress her girlfriend's hip with one hand while using the other to softly pet and stroke the length. The way Mash twitched and gasped at the slightest touch hinted that this new addition was somehow even more sensitive than usual.
That was impressive- and rather adorable.
Taking the length inside her mouth while making sure no teeth were involved was a challenge, however- if only because of the sheer girth of her girlfriend's new appendage. Still, the last master of Chaldea managed.
Not all of it, of course. She'd never attempted to have anything in her throat before, and the warmth that was thoroughly filling her mouth at the moment was not beginner friendly.
That'd be a story for another day, if it was even possible.
At least careful use of her hand, spreading the saliva she left on the member to better be able to caress and stroke it, seemed to be making up for it; or that's what Mash's hand instinctively pulling her head forward to seek more contact implied.
A glance towards the Demi-Servant's face, seemingly entranced by watching her girlfriend's lips be filled with the sensitive shaft, confirmed the suspicion. Gudako herself had to admit that it was just as enjoyable as pleasuring her lover using her mouth had been before- and was causing the same warmth to spread from her mouth to the rest of her body.
It wasn't long after the mage closed her eyes to further get lost in the sensation that slender fingers started caressing her waist and hips, quite clear in their intention. They still felt wonderful, regardless.
"I want you to feel good too, Senpai." Mash's voice was halfway breathless, further increasing the difficulty in even considering denying her request- not that such thought ever crossed the redhead's mind to begin with.
Some readjusting of said Senpai's body brought her lower half closer to the Shielder, where the earlier fingers immediately set upon caressing the slick entrance, already wet from arousal.
"I love you, Mash." The master sighed happily while still suckling the tip of her girlfriend's length, before taking it inside once more, letting her lips caress it on the way in.
She was slowly but surely getting the hang of it, of using lips, tongue and cheek in combination to wring out the sweetest sounds from the Demi-Servant that occupied the very core of her heart.
"I love you too, Gudako." When combined with a digit expertly finding a way to caress her lover's sensitive nub, Mash took joy in watching the woman veritably melt. Experience had taught the Shielder her master's weaknesses- both physical and mental- one of the main ones being whenever 'Senpai' was replaced with the redhead's proper name.
It was why, despite their relationship, the Demi-Servant still preferred to use the former in the vast majority of situations. 'Gudako' was reserved for special occasions, and given the moan her girlfriend had let out; she was keeping it as a not-so-secret weapon.
It wasn't without consequence, of course. The stronger jolts of pleasure coming from her length caused Mash to let out a whimper of her own, thanks to the Beast of Humanity's renewed effort into showing her love through physical means. Even the smallest sound Gudako emanated being felt as tiny vibrations did not help, either.
Or perhaps, helped rather thoroughly, depending on the point of view.
The mage couldn't help but sink her nails into the side of her girlfriend's hips when the warmth filling her mouth started to thrust slightly, thanks to Mash beginning to lose control of her instincts. There was no reason why it should feel good, yet it did anyway.
That was a lie, of course. Gudako's mouth was on the rather sensitive side, to the point where deep kisses had become one of her favourite methods to spend minutes or even hours- it'd be more odd if she didn't feel anything from her lover's action.
Still, that little voice inside the mage's mind chastising her would not abide. Were her mental faculties not being on hold thanks to the sensations coming from both sets of lips, she'd be very aware of why.
As it was, the voice was simply relegated to shouting into a metaphysical void. She was with Mash, Mash loved her, she was safe. Her traumas could take a page from her book, and go eat a dick.
Two points of pleasure at the same time did take their toll before long, the waves spreading from them meeting near the redhead's heart and emanating out again to bring her closer to climaxing.
What little reasoning was left in Gudako's mind being used to stop the instinct to take her girlfriend's shaft deeper in her mouth- there was nowhere deeper to go, at least not safely- left her with none to stop the desire to feel Mash better, to be closer, from making its way out in another way.
"More-" It was more of a moan than a request, especially with the obstruction in the way, but the Shielder understood it regardless- if more through their mana link than anything else.
It was still more than enough to shatter the lavender-haired woman's self restraint into complete dust, leading into fingers finding their way inside her master, skillfully targeting the bundle of nerves she had long since memorized the position of.
Coupled with a thumb now taking the duty of caressing the corresponding spot on the outside, it had the desired effect of causing more muffled noises from her girlfriend- and more of the same vibrations on her sensitive length that the Demi-Servant had swiftly become addicted to.
When Gudako began to rock her hips against Mash's hand, the Shielder gave up on trying to hold back her own.
Their movements in sync, each cycle brought the couple closer to peaking. The last master of Humanity ended there faster, walls tightening around her girlfriend's fingers to seek the most contact possible, shivering body and loud moans bringing her lover with her.
Instinct was enough for the mage to start swallowing the warm fluid gushing into the back of her mouth, yet because of her own state, it was also her undoing- once again it begged her to take Mash's warmth deeper.
So she did, which only managed to cause her throat to close in response. For small miracles, it didn't make her gag or cough, allowing the mage to enjoy the rest of her climax together with her lover.
It did mean that her mouth, filled as it was with Mash, couldn't quite hold the rest of the Shielder's heat, causing it to overflow past her lips, with some ending in her hair. This would later be discovered as a bad idea.
For now, it barely registered, with the Demi-Servant moving towards a kiss the moment she had control of her body again- her own fluids be damned.
Gudako wasted no time in embracing her girlfriend, returning the kiss regardless of the numbness in her mouth thanks to overstimulation. It still felt heavenly, and it still tasted like the Mash she knew. The plump weight of the Shielder's body on top of her only served to prolong the post-orgasmic bliss the mage enjoyed.
Still, the climax the Demi-Servant had given her served only to leave her insides tingling and aching for more- not that Mash's best efforts to violate the Pauli Exclusion Principle were contributing any less. Judging by the warmth hardening against her entrance, the Shielder wasn't ready to call it a night either.
"Senpai- can we?" The purple haired woman asked in a daze, before attacking Gudako's neck with kisses and suckles. Combined with Mash's soft weight and the new addition rubbing against her sensitive nub below, her girlfriend made a very compelling argument.
She just hoped her brain would leave her alone long enough to be able to enjoy it.
The mage took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Yes, we can try. I-" the redhead caressed her lover's hair softly, feeling guilty for even thinking about the request to follow. "I know I don't need to ask this, but could you try your best to be gentle with me?"
There was absolutely zero reason for Gudako to believe her girlfriend would be anything but, yet the irrational fear borne from false memories was still present all the same.
Then again, were they truly false merely because she didn't stay in those timelines? Were they even real timelines to begin with, or simple- if horridly vivid- simulations from her mind?
The Beast VIII did not know. Perhaps that was for the best.
For her part, the Shielder smiled warmly at her first and main lover, pushing aside the growing concern that said lover was hiding something from her. "Of course I will, love." Mash slowly touched her forehead to Gudako's. "I always will. If you ever want me to stop, just say so. Alright?"
Purple warmth met golden trepidation, making the latter melt. It always did.
The last Master of Humanity cradled her girlfriend's face with a palm, caressing her cheek with a thumb. A small smile had returned to the Beast's face. "I know. Thank you, Mash. I love you."
"I love you too, Senpai. So much." Both were fully aware of these facts, of course. They'd been for months. It didn't stop the couple from sealing the declaration with a heated kiss.
Gudako felt soft fingers caressing her entrance, including the small spot at the top- not that it was necessary. Her last climax, combined with Mash's attention afterwards, had been more than enough for her body to be prepared; still, the Shielder would never assume.
The mage broke the kiss gently. "I'm ready." The Demi-Servant nodded, moving lower to better align their bodies- but not before grabbing one of the myriad pillows nearby and placing it under her girlfriend's hips.
At the mildly amused questioning look, Mash sheepishly explained. "I've read that this way makes for a better angle."
Gudako's smile widened. "You've researched this?"
Kyrielight's face reddened. "I've- you know me, Senpai. I like learning."
The Beast winked. "I know, and it's part of why I love you."
The lavender haired woman's cheeks puffed in slight indignation, before carefully caressing her girlfriend's sensitive outer spot with a thumb, taking the pleased half moan, half sigh as invitation to start sliding her new member inside.
The mage did her best to relax her body, feeling Mash's warmth fill her inside, slowly pushing her walls apart and sending a jolt of electricity spreading through her body. Turns out that her lover was right, with the current angle, the head couldn't not rub against the inner side of the most sensitive bundle of nerves in the region.
This was downright dangerous.
Judging by the way Mash was struggling to not collapse on top of her, still halfway in, the feeling was mutual. Through the haze of pleasure, Gudako couldn't help herself- a hand instinctively found its way around the back of her lover's neck, pulling the plump woman into an embrace while toned legs wrapped around wide hips; guiding her in deeper.
Their moans were muffled by the kiss, but the shivering from both parties still betrayed the way both were being overwhelmed by the sensations. The Last Master of Humanity would have to get used to it still, but had to admit that it was the closest she'd ever felt to Mash- that alone soothed her heart immensely.
Were it anyone else in this position, Gudako would already have ripped out their hearts with her bare hands - or died trying. Both had happened more than once.
Thankfully, as it was, Mash's warmth, softness, scent and touch was enough to keep such memories suppressed for the time being.
Four limbs wrapped around the Shielder, holding her tight against the Beast VIII- and very much were not going to let go. Every single cell of the being's body screamed to stay with its mate as much as possible, to stay as one. The Demi-Servant certainly was not going to complain; not with the way her girlfriend's insides were wrapping around her sensitive addition, enveloping it in a mind melting sensation she'd only felt with her fingers before.
The combination of embrace, kiss and penetration was more than enough to make Mash feel as if she were melting into her lover even more than their usual lovemaking, something previously assumed to be impossible. Instincts previously unknown guided her hips to start slowly moving, seeking more pleasure for herself; but most importantly, for her girlfriend.
Still, one instinct surpassed even that- one that unfortunately required breaking their current kiss, if only somewhat.
"I love you, Gudako. So much." Mash was cheating by using her name like that, staring at golden orbs through half-lidded eyes. Then again, the Beast of Humanity herself being to blame for her having the knowledge and ability to, perhaps it was just desserts.
The response was immediate in the way her lover's insides embraced her tighter, while becoming even slicker. Even the specific initial jolt of emotion was noticeable to the Shielder's sensitive addition.
She was starting to like it quite a bit, truth be told.
"I love you too Mash, more than anything-" The mage was able to respond before the member inside her finally managed to fully sheathe itself, robbing much of her breath with it. Had the redhead not been experienced with doing something similar on her own, the sensation would be concerning. In the current situation, she found mild amusement in the fleeting feeling of pride about being able to handle her girlfriend's size.
Once the Demi-Servant's hand managed to sneak its way to the bundle of nerves atop their connection again, both women slowly lost themselves to pleasure with each movement. The nonstop kissing and sweet nothings being whispered certainly helped on both sides, and neither would have it any other way.
That was, at least, until the one person that the last master of humanity trusted above anyone else, even more than herself, held her hand in a very specific position while using her mouth to give attention to one of the redhead's breasts, the soft mounds otherwise being jerked up rhythmically with each of Mash's movements.
To anyone else in the world- at least living and in this world- that specific combination of factors meant nothing. To Gudako, it pulled a memory from the very depths of her mind which she'd worked incredibly hard to forget.
Of a situation superficially similar, yet the very opposite of the current one. A single flash of information, which despite being forcefully resuppresed the very moment the mage recognized it, was more than enough to nearly stop her heart from dread alone.
It was the event that gave birth to the one rule she currently held- one directive to override anything else.
If defeat was inevitable, it was her duty to kill Mash and any other of her Servants before enemies could capture them. If possible, followed by killing herself. It was better than the alternative.
The fact that she'd become proficient at it would haunt the Beast's soul forever.
Despite the best efforts of her mind, Gudako's body responded automatically to the memory, overriding any conscious thought and pushing her girlfriend out and away, much to the Shielder's confusion and concern- which was only compounded further when she noticed the other woman starting to shake.
"I- love? Are you alright? Did I do something wrong? Are you hurt?" Mild panic had begun to set in, making the Demi-Servant start considering to call the medical team; embarrassing situation be damned. It was a dumb idea to begin with, she'd gotten carried away when what her girlfriend needed was rest, not-
"Mash? You didn't. It's my fault." Despite her soothing tone, the clear disturbance in Gudako's eyes made it obvious that there was something much deeper there. Still, there was one thing she could try.
"Can you just- tell me it's you?" The redhead knew the request did not make sense for this version of her lover. That was a very, very good thing.
"...what do you mean, Senpai?" The Shielder's concern diminished, being instead turned into fiercer confusion.
"Maybe, if you keep telling me it's you, we can- I don't know." Gudako looked away in shame. "Nevermind, it's stupid. I'm sorry."
The lavender haired woman leaned forward again slowly, gently taking her girlfriend's hands on her own. "It's not stupid, love. I don't fully understand-" Deep in her mind, a part of her desperately did not want to understand. "-but if it'll help you, I'll be happy to do it."
The pang of guilt that the last master of humanity felt was swiftly washed away by the sheer kindness in Mash's expression- were it anyone else, she'd feel even guiltier; but her Kouhai's love and dedication had an uncanny ability to cut through the mage's own defenses or self-loathing.
"It's me. Only me. I'm here Gudako." The shielder's soothing voice slowly disarmed her master's defenses, allowing the lavender-haired woman to caress her girlfriend's cheek gently and watch her lover melt- much to her relief and surprise when after several more reassurances punctuated by kisses, her Senpai went so far as to guide the Demi-Servant inside her once more.
"Are- are you sure, love?" Were Mash to be completely honest, having Gudako melt under her again had reignited the desire that was put aside some time ago. Were her to be even more honest, to degrees she never was; repeating that minor mantra had further cemented in her mind that it was indeed her that her girlfriend was taking this large chance with instead of anyone else.
That knowledge, for good or bad, did bring some further excitement.
"I am. I want to have these memories with you." The mage was able to smile for the first time since the small episode, caressing Mash's hair gently while using her legs to pull the Shielder's hips closer- and by proxy, the member deeper. "Could you keep saying it?"
"Of course." The Demi-Servant smiled back, resuming both the reassurances and the caressing of Gudako's most sensitive spot- both in and outside. The result was immediate, with her girlfriend's soft walls tightening around her again, this time as an invite rather than expulsion.
Despite the interruption, both women took no time in returning- and passing- the level of intensity and intimacy they were at before. Gasps, moans and purrs were mixed with Mash's constant confirmation that yes, it was her inside Gudako, and only her.
"Mash- Mash!" The redhead's body had finally reached the peak again, nervous system flooded with pleasure thanks to the feeling of her girlfriend's physical manifestation of the feelings they held for eachother. She needed to, had to call her most important lover's name repeatedly. It was the only way to deal with the intensity of the love burning inside her while every muscle attempted to hold the Shielder as close as possible despite their shaking.
Mash herself had little chance, or desire, to hold back at that point. Both arms wrapped around Gudako before kissing her deeply, the building pressure inside flowing warmly into her girlfriend, an incredibly powerful feeling of satisfaction washing over her body. Just for that moment, no matter the past wounds or future struggles, everything was as it should be.
Everything was right with the world.
Plump softness and warmth greeted the last master of humanity when she returned to the land of the conscious several hours later. A mop of disheveled pink hair rested on her chest, slowly moving up and down thanks to her breathing- though not for long, once its owner moved her head, purple eyes meeting golden orbs with contented smiles.
"Did you sleep well, Senpai?" Delicate fingers caressed fiery red locks gently.
"I did, Mash. Thank you. Did you?" Gudako knew that her girlfriend, being a Demi-Servant, did not exactly need sleep. It didn't mean the mage stopped asking her to rest everyday if possible.
"I've rested well. I always do when we're like this." A kiss punctuated the feeling, followed by further cuddling and comfortable silence. At least for a while.
"Have you thought of the name?" The Beast VIII grinned mischievously, just out of sight of her servant.
"What do you mean?" The Shielder asked back, innocently
"Oh wow, Mash. I didn't take you for the type to not assume responsibility." Gudako explained in false amazement, deliberately caressing her own lower abdomen slowly. A few seconds passed before her girlfriend almost leapt out of her own skin.
"OH MY GODS! I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT!" The lavender haired woman shouted in panic, eyes the size of saucers. "I DON'T- OF COURSE I'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, SENPAI!" The woman's hands sank into her hair. "I- will I be a father? I don't know if Chaldea pays me-"
"Mash? Mash." The mage managed to break through her girlfriend's panic attack, waving a blister pack missing half its pills. "I'm on birth control for my periods, remember?" The redhead smiled amusedly for a second before the shielder snatched the reminder, forcefully throwing it on top of the nightstand before fiercely pinching Gudako's cheeks.
"Senpai! No! Bully! Geez!" The Demi-Servant pouted before curling up on top of her lover again, deliberately looking anywhere but at her.
"I'm sorry, you're just too cute." The mage chuckled, caressing her Kouhai's hair gently. The pouting was still fierce for a minute or two, while Gudako's eyes slowly focused on something far, far beyond the walls of her room.
"But maybe-" her voice was barely above a reluctant whisper, causing Mash to look up. "I don't know. Once this is all over. If it's ever over-"
She left the sentence in the air, wondering if saying it was even wise. The shielder simply waited, watching her girlfriend's lost expression.
"I wouldn't- I wouldn't mind, having a little Mash. One day." Golden eyes slowly refocused, a forlorn smile colouring the mage's features before Gudako nuzzled against her Kouhai's forehead. Perhaps, if she forced herself to believe a future existed, it might be an actual possibility.
It didn't hurt to try.
Mash pulled the redhead into a soft kiss, smiling back.
"Yeah. I think I'd like that one day, Senpai."