The People of Chaldea
Ayako stopped herself in the middle of the training room, her clothes wet with precipitation, her breathing slightly ragged after her latest session. She slowed her breathing down, fully filling her lungs until she couldn't draw anymore. Her exhale took twice as long, her free hand snaking into her wet shirt, feeling for her chest. For the beat of her heart. It was steady, even with the adrenaline pumping through her system. It was perfect, just the way it was supposed to be. She smiled proudly, as she always does after a job well done. Doubly so, when it was her own body she operated on.
"Birdie?" her golden eyes opened, turning to the Servant beside her, with her clawed finger about to poke her. She was dressed in an almost carbon copy set of her own clothes. The main difference was the pink and white striped shirt she wore. "Are we finishing early?"
"Nah, don't worry Liz." Ayako waved the worry away, catching the Lancer's hand with her own. "I was just making sure everything's fine. Let's get on with it!"
The young Servant smiled with her fangs, her own hand closing on hers. The next song began playing, starting with a bombastic piano tune that puts her heart into the pump of the rhythm. In a sense, it was the perfect song for her right now. A song of celebration, of a new start. A perfect song for the Servants as well, those who yearned for a second chance. Medea was a perfect example, one who seemed to be mostly minding her own business within these walls, yet from the glimpses that Ayako could glean, the Grecian Caster looked far happier than when they had summoned her.
Another example was the Servant currently dancing with her, with the brightest smile she's seen on the young Lancer's face. It was hard to believe that this girl right in front of her became the inspiration of Dracula's predecessor, even if they could see the occasional glimpse of who she was as a person. But right now, there was none of that. Only a girl who was all eager to embrace the life she never knew she needed. And she could say with absolute certainty, that she and her fellow Masters were more than eager to give these chances to them.
"That was a fun song, Birdie!" Elizabeth exclaimed as the song came to an end, and so too had their performance. "I love it! I absolutely love it!"
Ayako fell to the floor tiredly, smiling and laughing at her childish eagerness. Not that she could disagree, it was a great song. "Do you want to know something fun about that song?"
"Mhm! Yeah, yeah!" she dropped to her knees beside her, her tail wagging like an excited puppy.
She pushed herself up to her elbows, gathering herself to tell the story. She didn't expect Elizabeth to shimmy closer, placing her knees below her head, allowing her to rest herself better. Ayako took the action in stride. "The artist of this song, to celebrate his grandmother's 100th birthday, brought her around to do everything she wanted to do. I don't know if Chaldea has the music video in its archives, but it's very heartwarming."
"Yeah, I can hear it, the song of celebration!" the Lancer let herself lay on the floor, arms splayed apart. "I can't wait to see what the feelings my songs elicit." Her voice lowered in volume, but they were just as loud in its meaning.
The smile on Ayako's face, though subdued, was one of content in the humanity she was witnessing.
"So how's it been, working under Da Vinci?" Ayako asked as she took a bite of the sandwich she got. It tasted better than the usual breakfast foods they had been getting for the past couple of months. Most likely a byproduct of their new Roman reserves.
"Don't say it like that, please." Her mundane friend replied with a tired sigh, drinking the cup of orange juice that came along with his breakfast. He had a scar now over his eye, his brown eye almost turning grey from the cut. "Especially not with someone like Da Vinci."
"What's wrong? Does the Genius have too many surprises up her sleeve?" Ayako asked with a growing smirk.
"And then some!" Helix's sigh became heavier, his shoulders sagging tiredly as he leaned himself fully on the table.
A hand landed on his left shoulder. Not hers. Someone else's. Another bespectacled person, his counterpart within their division. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, with light, almost nonexistent make up on her face. Standing taller than him, the brown haired Violet showed a warm smile on her face. "He's just not used to dealing with Magi."
"Yeah, I could tell." Ayako shared a nod with the female engineer, seeing her stifle a giggle at his exasperation.
"You know, this reminds me." He turned to the woman on his left, pushing his glasses back on his face. "How are you so familiar with all of this magic shit? I thought you were a civilian, like me."
"I am." She answered, keeping a knowing smirk on her face. "None of my family can do magecraft anymore, but that doesn't mean we don't get the lessons in case we have to interact with other families."
"And did you?"
"Me personally? Not until Chaldea."
He turned back to Ayako, the Puppeteer already anticipating his question. "Do you know who she is?"
She shrugged simply. "I've heard of her Grandfather."
"Great Grandfather." Violet corrected. "The only person, and the last, in my family who can still do magecraft. Honestly, he's a bit of a recluse, I'm surprised you've heard of him."
"My mom knows people."
"And he's still alive?" Helix asked incredulously, interjecting the exchange.
"Well, of course." She replied, shaking her head with an understanding smile on her face. "Something you should know about most magi; longevity is of no issue."
"Evidently." He sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time, turning back to her. "And I bet immortality is something trivial for you as well?"
"We wouldn't call it immortality." Ayako replied with a slight grimace. "True immortality is something some magi have sought for centuries. They would scoff at what my mom and I do."
He himself scoffed, turning away from the both of them. "Yeah I bet they would." His eyes slowly trailed back to her, centering on her chest as they furrowed with concern. "Hey, I heard…"
He trailed off his words, but she understood his intent perfectly. "I'm all better now, don't worry about it." She said with a calming smile. "If there's anything you need to know about me, Sinclair, is that I don't stay dead easily."
His eyes glazed over her worriedly. Even with the months he's been here at Chaldea, the software technician was still in way over his head in regards to the moonlit world. More so than the other mundane civilian crew members of Chaldea, from what she's noticed. She figured that since most of his own crew were somewhat mundane made the transition of his take longer. She could sympathize with his plight at the least.
"Imagine this, Helix." Violet spoke up, drawing his attention back to her. "If you're ever afraid of dying, Miss Aozaki here can make you a new body."
"Somehow I'm not a big fan of that." He replied with a visible shiver, though the giggle that came from Violet showed to them that she meant it in jest. That in combination managed to cheer him up, if only a little.
Hoo?
Her eyebrow rose, seeing and noticing the chemistry between the two, exhaling through her nose as she came to a decision. "Well, I have a few things to do. See you guys later." She stood up from the table, waving them with the scraps of her sandwich, giving them some alone time they might not know they needed.
"Yeah, see you later, Ayako."
"Goodbye, Miss Aozaki."
In actuality, she had nothing truly planned for the day. She should by all means go and finish her second backup, especially now that her progress has been pushed back. But she'd rather not get too caught up with work so quickly after a Singularity. She still needed to unwind. And so, without a particular idea thought out, she did the next best thing that came to mind. Namely, walking around the sterile corridors of Chaldea.
"…our stories hardly ever said anything about you being a druid, Setanta." She heard a voice she hardly ever interacted with, though she knew of the person.
"That's because I've never really been a druid, lass." That was a more familiar voice. She turned around the corner, seeing said Druid conversing with the orange haired nurse. "I'm as far from a true Irish Druid as I can be, even summoned like this." He gestured to himself.
The nurse, who was already tall (especially compared to Ayako), still had to look up to talk to the Caster. Compared to the rest of the female uniforms, the nurse's uniform was pink, and often looked more sterile than the usual uniform. Her face was lit up like child meeting her hero, her green eyes almost bulging out. In fact, that might be the case. "Then, how does that work? You can still be summoned as a spellcaster?"
"It's because Scathach was a meticulous teacher, teaching me anything and everything." He sighed exasperatedly, shaking his head in the memory of his teacher. "But yeah, my legend is rather far reaching in that regard."
"Well, people do say that you're Irish Hercules." She giggled, a slight tinge of pink tainting her cheeks. "It shouldn't be a surprise that you're so awesome."
The Servant's chuckle reverberated in the corridor, his calloused hand rising to pat her head, ruffling the orange hair. "It's nice to see people remember me fondly."
"You bet your ass, Setanta!" her arms shot forward, hugging the Servant tight. "Never in my life, did I ever thought this would be a reality."
"Well, you've got a couple of years to savor this moment." His hand rubbed her back, before he drew himself from her. "You should get back to work."
"Yeah, I should." She turned and walked down the corridor, occasionally glancing back. "I wanna talk again, Setanta."
"We've got plenty of time." He leaned himself onto the wall, nodding back to her. "See you soon, Áine Ní Conchobhair."
Her face lit up, hints of tears threatening to spill before she rubbed them with her fingers. She nodded back vigorously, before continuing on her path in a fast paced walk. Ayako could've sworn that she saw a pep in the nurse's step.
She waited until the nurse was a bit farther before approaching the Caster, seeing his red eyes watch the shrinking form of the nurse, before turning around to face her. "Yo, Ayako. Need anything?"
"Nothing in particular." She replied with a smirk. "Didn't realize you had a big fan here."
"It's been fun talking to her." He said back conversationally. "She's a hard and diligent worker, her and her partner are keeping Medical on their shoulders, yet she becomes a child in my presence."
"She got to meet someone who might as well have been a fairy tale, in the flesh." The Puppeteer commented with a hint of amusement. "There's nothing special in regards to her family, at least as far as she knew of. This really was something she never thought she could ever live to experience."
"Yeah, I could see that." He hummed lightly, turning back to the now empty corridor. "So what are you doing?"
"Just minding my own business, Cú Chulainn." She pushed herself off of the wall, her feet already moving again. "Be on standby, just in case."
"Will do."
She found herself back at the hangar. The last time she set foot in this large enclosed space was a few hours before the explosion. A few hours before Singularity F. Has it been that long? She thought to herself, walking around the place with her golden eyes scanning the surfaces, searching for any sort of changes that had taken place since. It looked like its seen better days, most likely being the lowest priority in regards to repairs and refurbishes. In fact, the only thing that looked better than before was VTOL aircraft that carried the last batch of Master Candidates.
It looked like it was brand new. No more dents and scratches, the paint looked immaculate, the wings and engines looked like they were where they belonged. Everything was as it should be, and then some. She nodded appreciatively, congratulating the people with her thoughts. They deserved it.
"It's you again."
She glanced behind her, seeing the old weathered veteran approaching her. He was a bear of a man, wearing his old coat instead of the green Chaldean top issued to most of the male crew members. His hair was cut close to his head, the grey showing his age to her. He was the pilot that brought this former wreck into Chaldea.
"Mister Pilot. We've never properly introduced ourselves, have we?" she turned to fully face, her hand already reaching out to accept his. "Ayako Aozaki."
"Gerard Michaels." He replied, wrapping his large hand around hers. "Word's been spreading around about your exploits."
"What exploits? Almost dying?" Ayako scoffed, eyes rolling at the nonsensical gossip. "There is no I in Team, Mister Michaels. The exploits of the Ground Team should be seen as one whole effort of the group."
His greying eyes narrowed slightly, judging her, she could tell. It felt longer than it actually was, before he eventually nodded in acknowledgement. "You're still the leader, are you not?"
"That, I am…" she answered reluctantly.
"Then it's good to know that the Ground Team has a good head on its shoulders." He puffed a large smoke from his cigar, turning away from her briefly. "We don't need any more of those sticks to hold the world in their hands."
"Of that, I can agree." She said, as her usual smile returned to her face. "Are you a magus, sir?"
"A spellcaster. Third rate. No family, no talent." He puffed out another smoke, making sure to not assault the Puppeteer with his smoking. It reminded her that she hasn't actually smoked since she arrived, and no doubt that meant her lungs would further reject the nicotine stick. "Helped kept me alive and standing, but that's just about it. How about you?"
"I consider myself neither." Ayako's smile widened. She hardly ever got to speak with anyone who knew completely nothing of her, or her family. Especially those who were magi. "I am merely someone, who seeks to see how far I can grow as a person."
His old eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Never thought I'd see the day."
"You've never met a magus who didn't meet that magus archetype?"
"Only a handful. And one of them was just a façade." He didn't sigh, but his inhaling conveyed the same sense of disappointment. "Most of 'em are dead already."
"By your hands?" she asked him.
The pilot shook his head in response. "No." he took his spent cigar, snuffing it on his shoulder, before casually flicking it away. "To walk the path of the magus-"
"is to walk with death." She finished, nodding in understanding. "It's why I don't consider myself as one, even if I do die more often than most people."
"Yeah, keep on living the life that we live." His weather hand clasped her shoulder, inadvertently holding her in place. "I like you. We need less magi in the world, and more people like you."
"I try." Her smirk became more pronounced, echoing the Pilot's sentiment.
"And that's already more than could be said for most."
She ended up spending most of her day in the hangar, talking with the Pilot and a few of the crew stationed there. Most of them were pretty intimidated by her. Not that she could blame them, in all honesty. At times, she's reminded of how frightening she could be. But that's just how things were, especially with a person like her mother as, well, her mother. The Pilot's presence at least calmed them down. By the time she left the hangar, she had missed lunch.
She settled on a ration bar, munching on it as she walked down the corridor on her way back to her room and workshop. One of the few ration bars that were left over from before the explosion, the ones forgotten after Culinary started making more tasty versions of them. She took most of them, with no one else caring for them. They would always be useful in an emergency.
And besides.
It's still free food. No matter how bland they tasted.
She crumpled the small packaging into a ball, dumping it into the trash bin she was passing by as her teeth chewed the remains of whatever's left. When she turned around the corner with her filled mouth, she stopped in her place, with her golden eyes widening at what she was seeing.
Wood.
And lots of it.
It covered a good distance of the corridor, replacing the sterile look of the white walls. A single potted plant on the wall, illuminated by a small light bulb, showering the place with a warmth that was otherwise absent in the sterile corridors of Chaldea. Where is this? She asked herself internally, carefully stepping on the wooden planks that served as the new floor. She wondered if it was replaced, or simply layered atop the original ceramic tile. Her hand tapped the wood on the wall, feeling deep sound absorbed by the wall within.
"Ahem."
A shadow loomed over her, drawing her full attention to the person that had approached her. She nodded internally, as it all came together. Saint Martha, arms free of her gauntlets crossed over her chest. She was dressed far more conservatively than before. She wondered who the Ruler had to go to, to get the black habit a nun would usually wear, because as far as Ayako could remember, there were none (Ha) within Chaldea. Merely a single Chaplain who perished in the explosion. Her red scaled jacket was still worn over it, and the Saint seemed to have foregone the veil.
"Martha, is this all your doing?" she asked the Servant, only for Martha to hold a finger on her lips.
"Yes, I did." She replied through their telepathic link. She began walking forward, gesturing for the Puppeteer to follow her. "A semblance of faith would do wonders for those who yearn for it. And for those who have none."
"Ah, yeah I see." She followed the Saint towards a room that was just as covered by these wooden inlays. "Are these the prayer rooms?"
She nodded in silence. "I have cleaned and restocked them. So far, I have cleared enough room for those of the Abrahamic faith. As you can see, my work is far from over." She stood outside a veiled doorway, pushing it aside for Ayako to see.
A group of Muslims in the middle of prayer. That explained the silence she wanted between them. "You're going to create a room for other religions as well?"
"Of course." She replied with a silent nod. "I will not be biased in these trying times, especially in this modern age." The drape covered the archway again, giving the room back its initial privacy.
"Sounds exactly what a Saint should do." Ayako said with a smile, one that was returned in kind by the Ruler. "Is that all that you do? Where are you staying? I hope you're not slumming it. It's already bad enough we found out that Liz just sleeps in the breakroom."
"I have sectioned a small room as a personal office." Martha answered, continuing down the path towards a separate door from the rest. Opening the door, she showed the Puppeteer what was inside.
A single desk, with its usual modern essentials, and a cot off to the side. It really was small. "It serves as a place for people to also easily find me if they wish to speak to me." She further added.
"Nice." Ayako said as she sat herself on the chair opposite of the desk, whereupon Martha took her spot at the desk itself. "Where'd you get the habit?"
"Medea. The Greek Caster has an assortment of talent under her belt." The Saint replied as she draped her red jacket over her chair. Aside from the lack of a veil, she was the very picture of a nun. "It would explain her questionable interests, but I will refrain from reprimanding her."
"Are you talking about Saber?"
"Yes. Medea's interest in all things "cute" had made some people uncomfortable, but so far no one has spoken up about it." She further explained.
"You know that might be because they're terrified of her? Plenty of people suffer, yet they make no effort to speak up because of that fear." She liked the Caster, and deeply respected her, but Ayako couldn't afford to turn a blind eye if things crossed the line.
"I know." Martha replied, sighing through her nostrils. "But I have made sure of it. A little bit of intimidation helps, especially if it's for their own good."
"I'm sure it does." She stifled her silent giggle, earning a pointed glare from the Saint. "You have anything else planned? Aside from this?"
"Training Ritsuka. Having a more fit and healthy body will help him as a Master." She replied, just as a knock interrupted their mental conversation. The Ruler glanced to the door behind Ayako. "Come in." she called out.
The door slowly, and carefully, opened, to a sight she rarely sees. A slightly overweight man, with brown skin showing them his pacific heritage. Yusuf Praditya. Her interaction with him was limited, but the few times that they did, he has always been respectful of her. And anyone, really. "Miss Martha, good afternoon." His eyes shifted towards her briefly, and he nodded. "Miss Ayako." She of course nodded back.
"Mister Yusuf. To what do I owe the pleasure?" the Ruler asked, offering a welcoming smile to the man.
"Nothing, Miss Martha. I just wanted to thank you, for all that you have done." He said, his sincere gratitude conveyed through his words.
"I was merely doing my duty as a Servant of the Lord, Mister Yusuf. Think nothing of it." She replied to him.
"I still wished to give something back." His other hand came into view, carrying with it a small transparent container. Inside of it looked like white small curved cookies of some kind. He entered the room, placing the container on the table. "My family would often make these during Ramadhan. These particular ones are called Snow White."
"Snow White?" Ayako said aloud, disbelief sounding through her smiling face.
"It's been like that for decades in Indonesia. I didn't come up with it." He said with a shrug, before turning back to the Ruler. "These might not be much, but I hope you accept our gratitude."
The Saint's smile became softer, her hand reaching for the container, tapping it lightly with her fingers. "Then I will accept this gift graciously with an open heart, Mister Yusuf. Thank you."
His smiled turned into that of relief, nodding again to himself. "Well, I'll be on my way, Miss Martha. Miss Ayako." He nodded to her again.
"Well wishes, Mister Yusuf." She called out again before he closed the door behind him.
The both of them waited until his steps were no longer heard before they would continue their conversation. "Seems like you've settled in nicely." Ayako commented, turning her eyes back to the Saint.
"Seems like I did." Martha replied, opening the container with one hand and taking out the small cookie with the other. It was covered with powdered sugar. She licked it briefly, before taking the whole thing into her mouth. "Hm." She hummed her approval, nodding silently at the taste. She pushed the container to Ayako's side, offering it to the Puppeteer.
She took one of the Snow Whites, placing it on her tongue. It was good. The Head of Sanitation seemed to be an adequate baker as well. "I don't have anything else to talk about, so I'll just get out of your hair, Martha."
"Alright. You'll know where to find me."
"Also, I recommend a mini fridge. Just so you won't have to munch down that whole pack in one go." She left the room in hysterics, especially at the sudden glare thrown her way by the Saint.
"What… in God's name, is that?"
"That's me, Ayako." The Grecian Witch replied, showing the blueprint laid out on the table. "Or, what's going to be me."
"Is that my heart?" she asked, her eyes zeroing on the one thing that stood out to her, seeing a diagram of her heart drawn on the blue paper.
"I don't know what it is, but your constructs are out of this world." Medea said, showering the Puppeteer with glowing reviews. "I can't imagine the wonders you would have created, had you been born in my time."
"I mean, that's not really out of this world anymore. If our rayshifts bring us to eras with more potent materials, I can make use of them." She said with a noncommittal shrug.
"You're right!" the Caster's gloved hands clasped hers, her purple eyes seemingly glowing in excitement. "After you are done with Kagiso's arm, I would like your assistance in creating a body of my own."
"Should we rope in Da Vinci while we're at it?" she asked. Her curiosity was already sparked, with the cooperation between her and one of history's most renowned magi. Add in the Renaissance's most archetypal Genius, there's no saying what wonder they could all create.
"That is not a terrible idea." Medea nodded in agreement, finally letting Ayako's hands go. "I'm worried what sort of ideas she could come up with, but I'm sure we can iron out the details later."
"Well, she is eccentric." Her eyes went down to the blueprint again, inspecting it thoroughly. "You said, body, earlier…"
"Yes?"
"Not a backup?" she asked the Caster, wondering about the choice of words.
"Yes." She replied, her smile shifting into a daring smirk. "I'm confident, with all our minds put together, we can create a vessel that will not only be able to sustain itself, but be better than these Containers we are in." the Servant said, running her gloved hand up the side of her chest. "We won't be able to make use of it during a Singularity, considering the nature of the rayshifts. But, imagine if we had a magus like me, unburdened by constraints that limit us."
"That sounds fucking terrifying." She saw Medea flinch, as if she was physically struck by her choice of words. "Let's fucking do it." Ayako said with a defiant and confident smirk.
The Witch's eyes widened, surprised by her declaration. "I thought…"
"Come on, 'Dea. You should know me better by now. Aside from your weird interest with cute things, I trust you." This time it was her that brought the Caster's hand into hers.
"If you treat people as monsters, then they will be monsters." A voice spoke up in the room, almost startling them, and reminding them that they were not alone in the workshop. It was none other than Ritsuka, going over a few of the practice routines with Mash assisting him. Fou stood on the Demi Servant's shoulder, barking at them. "If all we do, is just stifle you with distrust, then you will only show us that distrust. Trust and respect, must be met with trust and respect." he said with a supportive smile.
"My fellow countryman is right." Ayako said, dropping Medea's hand to wrap an arm around the Caster's shoulder. "You want to do this. We might be met with some resistance by the Director. Resistance that is not unfounded. But we will be here with you."
The purple orbs of Medea centered themselves on her, before it slowly moved to Ritsuka. A relieved smile slowly formed on her face, as she rubbed the hints of tears off her eyes. "This is what a world would be like, without gods and magi."
"I wouldn't say that…" Mash commented, earning a bark of agreement from the little creature on her shoulder.
"You know what I mean." Medea said, patting the Demi-Servant on the head.
"We do." Ayako said contently, turning to face the other two in the room. "So, do you two also want a new body?"
"No, Ayako." Mash replied. "At least, not yet. I don't know what to think about it."
"You're not just going to make them for us either way?" Ritsuka asked her.
She shook her head in reply. "I only did that for the Director because Da Vinci insisted on it. Which, in hindsight, was a sound decision. I doubt Flauros would've settled with what it did if it knew she had a double."
"Yeah, it would've probably attempted something with more... permanence." he said in agreement.
She turned back to the Witch, eyeing the blueprint again. "So, is this it, or do you have things to iron out left?"
"Oh I have plenty to iron out. If you wouldn't mind?"
"Sure, show me what's up?"
"So, got a name for the little guy already?" Ayako asked, leaning back into the chair in Koleen's room.
"Mhm." The American Witch replied, nursing the small kitten with a milk bottle. The three tails trying to wrap around her arm was a sight to see.
"…and?" she asked again.
"He's Little Roman." Koleen answered, toying with the kitten's ear as it flicked under her touch.
"Roman… for the Doctor?"
"For the Empire." She said, rolling her eyes at the Puppeteer. "That's where I got him, after all."
She laughed at the response, placing her feet on Koleen's bed. "Well if we ever manage to summon her, don't let Boudica near him."
"She's not that bad." Koleen said in reply. "She worked well enough with the Emperor last time."
"Because of us. She made that very clear."
"Then it should be no problem for her to accept a little harmless kitten." She said, challenging Ayako with a smirk.
"You got me there…" she slid off the chair, approaching the bed where the kitten was. She poked the little Phantasmal Beast with her pinky, eliciting a tiny mewl of protest. "What a cute little guy you are. Fou's gonna have some competition soon."
"I think they'll be best friends." Koleen said as she took away the bottle, with the kitten mewling filling the room. It crawled closer towards her for warmth. "Busy day tomorrow?"
"Yeah, need to freackin' finish that damned body of mine. Maybe upgrade a few things with my current backup as well." She said with a tired sigh, scratching the side of her head.
"You can do that?" Koleen asked wth her pink eyes wide.
Now it was her turn to smirk. "I can do that." She stood back up, stretching her back and legs. "I need to get that done so I can get started on Kagiso's new arm. Not to mention the other projects I have lined up."
"You have other projects already?" she asked her.
"Oh, like you wouldn't even dream of." She stifled a yawn with a fist, already making her way back to her own room. "See you tomorrow, Kalls."
"Goodnight, Ayako." The Witch replied before the door closed behind her.
She crossed the corridor, quickly waving to Kiyohime who stood by her bedroom door, entering her room in silence. Her familiar was laying still on the tiny bed, unresponsive to the world as she walked straight into her room's bathroom compartment. A quick hot shower to clear her mind after a full day's worth of both nothing, and something. Sometimes simply talking with people served to keep her grounded in reality, and she especially needed it after what she had recently experienced. But it was refreshing, and eye opening. She would be able to go to bed, with a clear mind and a clearer goal.
Dressed in her casual nightwear, she dropped herself onto her bed, covering herself with the white blanket. Her eyes slowly drooped, closing as the tiredness took her.
And so with that, Ayako's day with Chaldea had come to a close.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
there's more to Chaldea, than just the Masters. every single survivor is a well placed cog in the machine that is Chaldea, everyone is important. some of them, more obvious than others, but important nonetheless.
with a person like Ayako (and even Guda in the game) i felt like it was crazy that we have not once interacted with any of them, until Agartha. the fact that she's also made friends with at least one of them since the first chapter, it would be insane for her to ignore any of them. at least the anime showed the technicians getting some kind of screen time.
which is why fics like Technician's Order! and Fragments of Chaldea are great to me, because they show off the other people within Chaldea (some might say they have important roles in said stories as well.) huge shout out to them. so yes, there will be inevitably a number of OCs here, but Chaldea isn't empty. 60-something is a far cry from over 200, but that is still a lot of people. over two classes worth of people.
on a lighter note, can any of you guess that song they danced to? it's a great banger of a song.
with that out of the way, onto the reviews!
trexboy164: he'll come eventually, don't worry. and what do you mean Demon Pillar characters? the only ones i can think of are Jason because of Medea Lily, and Makiri Zolgen in London (i think? it's been a while)
King0fP0wers: they even get a chance to relax here. the reason why i rushed Orlean and Septem so close with one another was because they were both released in launch, or at least close to launch. and i'm trying to keep the timeline close to actual releases. that's why there'll be some time for everyone to relax here.
C2M1: she has something that would be considered dark to normal people, but nothing compared to her mom and aunt. she's the white sheep of the Aozakis after all.
Addicted2Fanfics: thanks!
primus101: oh, that was a coincidence. maybe i'll be able to work something with it, but just so you know, it was unplanned.
so, thanks again for dropping by guys!
leave a review if you don't mind, and i'll see you all next time!