Prompt: "valkyrie in the fuyuki grail war, interacting with their master. Preferably fluff" — Chalos, answered by TungstenCat

"I do not understand." Ortlinde sat quietly at the table, watching the redhaired boy bustling among the pots and pans in the narrow space he called a kitchen. "Only one of us is needed to guard you. Having all three of us manifested is an inefficient strain upon your circuits."

"Yeah!" Hildr sniffed at her empty cup and reached for the sake. "It would be a big disappointment if you keeled over before we get to battle anyone!"

Next to her, Thrúd tapped the buttons of the odd device - a handheld console, the Grail supplied- staring at the blinking lights on the screen with the same intensity she would have granted one of Fenrir's ravenous spawn.

Shirou's jaw tightened as he poured some red powder from one of the many small glass bottles on his shelf into the stew. The savoury odors wafting into Ortlinde's nose made her mouth water, but she forced it down with long disciple. A machine had no need for luxuries (and she hadn't earned any, anyway.).

"It's not fair for Hilde and Thrúd to have to hide away," said the boy. "I know it's a War, but you guys should get to enjoy your time here too, right?"

"That is unnecessary," said Ortlinde, suppressing the urge to bite her lip. "We are your weapons, little more than machines. Enjoyment is not within our parameters."

Her sisters nodded, Hildr with some vigour, Thrúd absentmindedly.

Undeterred, her Master stirred the stew and added some chopped carrots. "Right," he said, a gleam in his amber eyes as he turned to look at her. "But machines need fuel too right?"

"No, we are powered by—"

"Hildr," he called, "If you aren't busy, can you please set the table? The dishes are in the cabinet over there."

The pink haired Valkyrie grumbled, but rose from her seat to do as asked. The boy was very strange, but he was still their Master, as they all agreed over their shared link.

But some constraints had to be imparted if they were to succeed in this battle, the Holy Grail War. "Master. I must insist—"

"Here, how does this taste?" He offered her the wooden spoon he'd been stirring with. There was thinly sliced beef in sauce on it, still steaming. "I think it may need more salt."

She took a step back, away from his earnest face, and wasn't sure why. "I am certain that it is adequate."

His brow furrowed. "I'll have really failed you three if it's only adequate."

For the first time since she'd met the boy, Ortlinde could tell she had wounded his pride (and he'd been entirely unruffled by their criticisms of his martial prowess and magic potential. A strange Master indeed).

Ortlinde surrendered and took the spoon, suppressing a sigh. Then the warm liquid hit her tongue, and she almost dropped it in her astonishment. "This… is really good." I should not care, but… "how did you make this?"

Shirou looked honestly puzzled. "I just tried to guess what you guys might like. You're warriors, so I thought a meat dish? And spice to help with the cold."

"You made this with us in mind," she whispered, dipping the spoon in for another portion and passing it to Hildr, who had appeared at her shoulder. "But we are all interchangeable."

"No, you aren't. You're Ortlinde, and you like to whistle back to the birds each morning. Hildr's already pried into my old man' stock of cigarettes, and Thrúd's on level 20 of that action game Shinji keeps trying to get me to play."

Her fingers clenched on the counter as she stared at the boy, searching his face for the answer to a question she couldn't even formulate. Ortlinde never thought much about the warriors she picked up from the battlefield. All were suitable so long as they met their father's criteria for bravery. They were interchangeable, as much as she and her sisters. But looking into Shirou's earnest eyes...

"To remember one face over another, and what makes each smile… is that what it means to be a human?"

"I don't know," said Shirou, scratching his cheek. "But maybe.. I guess it's a start?"

Ortlinde said nothing in return, but she smiled as she found herself reaching to sample the salad.