Adjustment Period
1594
"Are you ready Mash?!" Ayako called out, standing on a makeshift raft just a few feet away from the beach, her footing steady.
"Yes, Ayako! I'm ready!" the Demi-Servant called out, her massive shield held above her head and body. Ritsuka was standing behind her. Far behind her, shielding himself behind a tree. Next to him was Cú Chulainn, his hood down and his wooden staff in his hand.
"Alright, here it goes!" she pulled out her runestones, six of them, three in each hand. And her hands opened, letting the runestones float freely, higher and higher as they congregated together.
ᚦ ᚨ ᚠ
ᚻ ᛊ ᚦ
They all pulsed, shedding the shell and leaving nothing but its collected, earthy mana. She could feel it all flow through her, as she channeled its power. Channeled the Earth's power, its mana. She was overwhelmed, but it didn't feel as taxing as it was before. The runes pulsed with power, before it shot upwards towards the sky. As her hair shifted into a dirty blonde, with sparks coming from the tips, light smoke emitting from it.
"Thurisaz, of the God Thor. Ansuz, of the God Odin. Fehu, of the God Freyr. Hagalaz, of Hail. Sōwilō, of the Sun, and Thurisaz, of the God Thor." Thunder echoed, as dark clouds gathered around them, as she brought her hand up high, closing it as if she was holding onto a handle. Visible lightning trailed along the bottom of the clouds, all coalescing at a singular point.
She brought the hammer down.
"Mjölnir!"
Their surroundings briefly blinded them, as the lightning struck the shield, the loud reverberating echo of the contact lasting longer than they expected. The lightning spread around Mash, scorching the sand, turning the grains into glass from the excruciatingly hot plasma. And after a while, the smoke cleared and the dust settled, leaving Mash none the worse from it, aside from light scorch marks on her shield. Ayako meanwhile, atop the raft, felt her heart racing, and her body tiring.
"How is it, Ayako-san?" Ritsuka called out, as he and the Druid stepped out, joining Mash as the three of them moved closer to the waters.
"I'm fine, actually." She was a little out of breath, but otherwise she was in perfect condition.
This is insane. She thought to herself, the smile on her face almost manic, before she shook her head, calming herself down. She sat herself down as Mash began pulling the raft by the rope it was tied to, bringing her back to the beach. The moment the makeshift raft was beached, Cú Chulainn approached, planting a hand on her shoulder.
"Do you still have more of those runestones?" he asked with a slightly serious tone to his voice.
"Yeah?" her brows furrowed in minor confusion.
He nodded to her. "You should try and cast another one of your higher tier spells, see then how well your body fares."
"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Ritsuka asked, looking between them.
"It's definitely going to be dangerous, especially with how my runecraft works." Ayako said, as her hair slowly returned to its beautiful red color.
"I'll set up a place, in case you get hurt, Ayako." Mash said, backing away from them, trying to find the point of the leyline.
"Thank you Mash." The Puppeteer thanked with a smile.
"Should I find some place to hide?" Ritsuka asked, to which both she and Cú Chulainn shook their heads.
"I'm not gonna cast anything destructive." She said, as her hands dug into her red coat, searching for the runestones she needed.
"Well, aside to your own body." Cú Chulainn commented with a smirk, his staff laid on his shoulder.
"Stop it, it sounds wrong when you say it like that." Ayako replied, brows furrowed in a slight glare at the tall man.
He shrugged his shoulders, unabashed in his words. "You're the one who looked like she was high on power, just for a second there." Her eyes widened, turning away from him immediately in shame. "Hey, it's alright lass. We have all our beasts."
"It's inhuman." She muttered beneath her breath, though no doubt she knew that he heard her.
"And you cling to it, hard." The Druid said to her, his voice reaching her ears. "It's fine to crave this power once in a while, but as long as you stick to what your mother taught you, then things shouldn't be a problem."
She nodded, trying to settle that worry from festering, letting out a long sigh. "Alright, let's get this on." She pulled out six more runestones, letting them float around her arms. They shattered, leaving behind dust and power circling ever faster.
ᚦ ᛇ ᛉ
ᛗ ᛁ ᚦ
"Thurisaz, of the God Thor. Laguz, of Water. Algiz, of Protection. Mannaz, of Man. Isaz, of Ice. And Thurisaz, of the Giants." They sunk into her limbs, turning into a sickly blue, as her red hair shifted into a snow white. "Strykr Jötunn!"
She almost lost her footing, as the weight of it all passed through her. Her hearty was racing, as if she was back in her old body, having run a marathon. Although, not as much as usual. She could straighten her height again, gathering herself even as her heart kept pounding. She held a hand on her chest, feeling the beatings with her own limb, her own digits. It's not going to rest any soon.
"Not bad." She commented, smiling a bit, taking a few steps forward closer to the Caster.
"So we're good?" he asked her, his red eyes inspecting her like a hound.
"As good as I can be." She replied, her breathing slowly evening out. "Let's see how much I can take."
He nodded, as a feral smirk formed on his face. "Let's." And he disappeared, the sands picking up in his wake.
She brought her arms together, elbows and knee connecting to cover much of herself, as Cú Chulainn's struck at her with a sideways kick that sent her down the beach, rolling through the grains. She stabilized herself, her hands and feet on the ground, pushing herself up and jumping, as the Druid had chased after her, swinging his staff like he would his supposed lance. She covered herself again as he swung upwards, sending her into the sky, the air in her lungs escaping her. She tried to recenter herself, loosening her body, before the Caster appeared beside her. She curled up into the fetal position, as he slammed the head of his staff on her back, sending her down like a bullet.
She coughed sand out of her mouth, as her limbs returned to their normal fleshy color, red returning to her hair. She felt his hands grab her by the cuff of her neck, as if he was holding a small kitten. He carried her like that, bringing her towards where Mash and Ritsuka were sitting, the both of them looking at her worriedly. She flashed them a smile, if a tired one.
"Can all Casters just, do that?" Ritsuka asked, as the Druid laid Ayako on the shield.
The Puppeteer, painfully, pull out two runestones, placing them beside her, as she traced two more on the sands. "Nah… he's a minority. It's 'cause his ideal Class is a Lancer." She said, as she began chanting internally.
ᛚ ᚨ ᛝ ᛋ
Laguz, of Water. Ansuz, of the God Odin. Ingwaz, of the God Yngvi. Sōwilō, of the Sun. She felt the surge of mana, but the light searing pain that often accompanied the spell wasn't there. It was just… warm. She smiled again, though it was a far more comforting smile, instead the one that looked like she was drunk on power. "Lækna."
"My Teacher taught me everything, but I was mostly a warrior." Cú Chulainn explained, crouching down beside them. "I can't go toe to toe with a Servant of a different Class, barring perhaps an Assassin, unless I use my own runes to strengthen myself. But, against a human? I still come out on top."
"Is that something I could do?" Mash asked with glinting eyes.
He chuckled, ruffling the Demi-Servant's hair. "Lass, you'll be a lot better at than me I'm sure." His red eyes returned to Ritsuka. "Just know that, being a Caster means I'm held back most of my more fun aspects of life."
"So, shall we finish this and head back?" Ayako asked as she pushed herself back up, turning to face them.
"Yeah, I still got the anomaly located." The Druid said, straightening his legs as he stood back up.
"Do you know what it is?" her fellow Master asked as Mash helped her up as well.
He shrugged noncommittally. "'Nother Shadow Servant. Nothing special."
"Good, then things should be simple." She smiled at them, sighing as feeling her body relax.
2017
"So how's the new and improved body?" Waver asked, moving the piece forward, dressed in just a simple white shirt along with his normal black dress pants. The both of them were inside a room that was given to him, one that once belonged to a Master Candidate who died, now personalized to be his own personal room.
"It's working out great." She replied, matching his momentum as she let her piece be sacrificed.
"Have you ever thought about writing something about it?" he said, taking the bait with a move that she hadn't expected. "The papers would be quite the read for those who are curious. Especially compared to you mother. Her puppets were perfect recreations, never better or worse than the previous."
"Puppets aren't really my thing." She replied, trying to usurp his movements, though she found herself struggling. "Like, I know I'm very good at them, rivalling my mom in my own way, but I like runes, that's my focus."
He chuckled in amusement, as his next action completely outmaneuvered her. She sighed. "Shame, people would have loved to be able to learn from that. Knowing you, of course."
She joined him, even though she realized that she was losing the game. "I didn't know there were still other puppeteers out there."
"There are still some, definitely." His next step was closing in on her, and she's running out of options. "But, with people like your mother? And now even you? Most people don't have much of an avenue."
"I feel sorry for them." She said, mostly with sarcasm, but there was a hint of sympathy. There were definitely some of those, who were genuine, and not veritable assholes.
"Regardless, it'd be a shame. The Clock Tower really lost the most generous researcher that walked their halls." The clack of the piece on the board resounded in his room. "Check."
"Fuck." She cursed. "Why're we playing chess anyway? I suck at this game."
"I'm feeling for the classics right now." He said with a smile. "I'm surprised, considering what you've accomplished in the Singularities."
"I just don't like chess." She replied, seeing the only move she could do on the board, but she knew of her imminent demise.
And then, the final nail on her coffin was hammered by his last move. "Checkmate."
She groaned, pushing the board towards him. "Yeah, let's not play chess anymore, Waves."
"Sure, maybe I can find someone around here who has checkers." He said with a smirk.
"Ha ha. Very funny." She smiled as she shook her head.
This was nice. Most of the friends she had made within Chaldea were new, varying degrees of awesome, as she would say. Especially her fellow Masters, knowing that they were people of heart. The same could be said for the few of the crew that she had met. But having someone who she could consider an old friend, even though she wasn't in the Clock Tower for long, even though there was a huge age gap between them. It was nice, to just be around them, chatting and playing and relaxing, from time to time.
"Ah, my break's almost over." He stretched his arms above his head. "I'm going to freshen up before I join the Control Room."
She laughed as she too stood up. "You really slipped into the cracks of the roster, didn't you? You really should've just came along."
He shrugged his shoulders as he pulled his yellow shirt over himself. "I am still a Lord of the Clock Tower, with my own responsibilities, even though still I am simply her number Two."
"You say that, but Wodime was also a Lord, and he came here and became the Leader of A Team." She said, tiptoeing around him as he redressed himself.
"And he was also the apprentice, and chosen heir, of Marisbilly." He responded, a slight smirk on his face. "Of all the Lords, he would be here. What do you think of him?"
"Of Wodime?" he nodded, and she too nodded in return. "He and I didn't get to hang out much. He was the leader of A Team, so he always had things to do. But he was nice."
He looked at her oddly, eyes squinting slightly. "Nice? That's the word you're using?"
"Yeah." She shrugged with a smile. "And, I consider myself being good with reading people; magi obviously with slight difficulty; and he seemed genuinely nice. I noticed, looking from afar whenever he interacts with the more stuck up assholes, he was always careful with his words. The few times we do get to talk? Sparse as that may be, since I usually just hang out with Ophs, and occasionally Pepe, but he seemed to be more at ease. As if he could be himself with me."
"Interesting." He sat back down, leg over the other, elbow on the knee, and his chin on the back of his hand in thought. "I've heard somethings echo in the halls back then, but to hear it directly from someone."
"I know, right? You'd think he'd be like the stereotypical asshole, but he's a far nicer person I've met compared to most magi." Ayako chuckled heartily. "He's far nicer than my mom, even now."
"Considering what she was like, I wouldn't be surprised." He shared the chuckle himself, standing back up and dusting off the figurative dust on his coat. "See you next time?"
She laughed, tapping his shoulder in a lighthearted manner. "Yeah, and how about we not touch chess for, like, ever?"
She smirked challengingly at her, lording his height over her. "Sure, I'll find something easier for you."
"Oh, you asshole!"
"So how does it work?" Helix asked, both his hands exploring her single left hand.
"How does what work? Be more specific, my dude." She said back, letting out a rare giggle at his childlike wonderment.
"I can't tell any difference from your last body." He said, holding her hand up, his bespectacled gaze locked onto it. "How do you do that?"
"From my very limited understanding, our soul does the rest." Violet said with uncertainty, herself eyeing her hand, sitting beside Helix. "It acknowledges that it is a suitable vessel, and it will consider it a real body."
"The closer the body is to the original, the better." Ayako further clarified. "The body can break down if it is imperfect."
"How does that work then, with how different this body is?" Koleen asked, sitting beside her, with her hand holding food that her kitten was eating. His three tails were swirling around happily. They were all in the cafeteria during lunch break, with a rather empty room, all things considered.
"It's because of my Origin." She answered, and kept it as that.
The other two young women nodded understandingly. "Ah, that would make the most sense." Violet said, a finger reaching out to touch her hand.
"Wait wait wait, go back a second." Helix sat back, hands raised as he shook his head in confusion. "What did you mean by breaking down? And original? Perfect?"
"That's just how it is, with souls." Ayako said, as she began to explain. "When we die, it moves on. Unless you have some way of manipulating them, which no one really does anymore, or if there is another suitable vessel to keep it from moving on. And there are hardly any people who can recreate something as perfect as the human body at its more natural state."
"I wouldn't call our bodies perfect." He interjected with a frown. "We have so many things that just don't make sense."
Ayako chuckled, nodding at his comment. "Also true. But, you get what I meant, right?" he nodded, allowing her to continue. "Yeah, people have tried, but it was always just a stopgap. Their puppet creations were a temporary thing, until they could find something more permanent. Very few people can reach such perfection. The only person I know that can come close, and I don't even have a name for them, uses something that is quite similar to my mom's. All I know is that she has killed this person numerous times."
"And who can reach this perfect requirement?" he asked her, leaning forward with his eyes staring at her intently. Both Violet and Koleen were far more relaxed as they listened to her.
She smiled, showing her teeth. "My mom. Obviously."
"Your mom?" he eyed her, surprise written clearly on his body language.
"Mhm. My mom's puppets are so perfect, that the first time she created her backup, so to say, she experienced a minor existential crisis." She herself began recalling the time when her mom regaled her own experiences to her. "That the body she was in right now, was Touko. That the body on the table, was also Touko. That any new body she creates, were all Touko. There is no difference. There is no deviations. They are all her."
"Touko is her mother, by the way." Violet added, patting Helix on his shoulder.
"Yeah, I kinda got that." He said, fixing his thick rimmed glasses. His brows furrowed then, as he looked back to Ayako. "Then, what about you? What about your puppets?"
Her smile widened, her teeth glistening in the light. "Like mother, like daughter." She said, her voice carrying with it a hint of pride.
"You've seen the Director, right?" Koleen asked him, letting her kitten wrap himself around her arm. "She doesn't look any different at all, capable of working like she always has since before she first died. There's nothing slowing her down."
"Then why aren't people clamoring over you then?" he asked the Puppeteer with a crossed look of confusion.
"Because to these assholes…" she gestured to the few people inside the cafeteria, getting a handful of glares aimed at her, and nothing else. "I've done nothing to improve the craft, aside from copying my mom. I've done small changes, here and there, my hair for example wasn't as red as this. But nothing oh so grandiose as this." She gestured to her body. She grabbed the side of her torso with an empty hand. "This body is the first true realization of what I am capable of."
"Would you say you're better than your mom?" he asked her, his body finally relaxing.
"No, not at all." She replied, her words were no doubt genuine to those around her. "Her puppets are perfection incarnate. Without much effort, she can create such amazing things. I have to push myself to create such perfect puppets, because my mind always wanders, always seeks to make changes. Very difficult to stay on the path."
"Ah." He nodded, as if he finally understood her. He turned to the woman beside him, his eyes slightly scrutinizing the taller woman. "Was shit this complicated for you?"
"Not as much." Violet replied, hiding a giggle with the back of her hand. "As I've said before, my family hardly ever touches that side of the world, aside from the occasional visit from another magus. I myself have never met anyone. I just went to school like a normal person."
The Hardware Engineer turned to Koleen, a knowing look flashing in her eyes. "How were things for you, Miss Bertrand?"
"A bit less like you, Violet." The Witch replied, a grimace forming on her face. "My family stopped practicing Witchcraft generations ago, and our tomes were treated as just family heirlooms. It went untouched for centuries, until me."
"Shouldn't you girls be speaking hush hush?" he asked them, looking between the three worriedly.
The three young women smiled charmingly, giving an almost devilish image that one wouldn't picture any of them in. "Sinclair, you're talking to the ones who don't give a rat's ass about that."
The Software Technician rolled his eyes, though he had a small smile on his face. "Well lucky me, I guess."
"So, is there anything you can do?" the American Witch asked, laid on the hospital bed, the top buttons on her uniform unbuttoned, hands to her side, tremoring.
To her sides, both Sanson and Kagiso stood, looking down on her. The Servant held one of Koleen's hands, seeing the tremor with his own eyes. Kagiso stood with a tablet detailing Koleen's medical records, his eyes going through the information thoroughly. Ayako sat on a different hospital bed, holding Little Roman for her friend.
Eventually, the Servant shook his head, a slight frown marring his face. "There's nothing physically wrong with you, Koleen. You're as healthy as can be. If anything, this is psychosomatic. And that's not really my field of expertise."
"Have you been feeling stressed? Have you given yourself enough rest?" Kagiso asked, looking to the blonde with concern.
"I felt like I did." She replied unsurely, looking to Ayako.
"I won't deny and say that you really put yourself through a wringer sometimes for entire days, Kalls." Ayako said, remembering the times she had to bring the Witch out of her workshop.
Koleen looked away guiltily from the truthful comment on her. "I guess that is true…" she whispered, though her words were still heard by them.
"Well, in any case, I'd need to ask you to refrain from working, Koleen." Sanson laid her hand back down gently, before he moved towards the cabinet behind him. "But, we'll prescribe you something to help you relax."
"And if you want, I can see if there really is something latching on to you, since you did sound incredibly worried." The Shaman said, placing the tablet aside as he ruffled through his fetishes. "Would you mind that?"
"No I won't." Koleen replied, taking a long deep breath as trepidation built up inside her.
"Nothing will go wrong, Kalls." Ayako said in support of her friend. The Blonde Witch smiled appreciatively, no doubt thankful.
Kagiso's hand finally fished out something; a large claw that was cracked in the middle, belonging to what Ayako would assume a large feline of some sort. Gripping the fetish with one hand, his other reached for Koleen's hand. The tall Shaman drew in a lungful of air, his exhale slow and measured. "Wazazi, ninatafuta msaada wako."
Light, purple smoke flowed from the claw, engulfing Kagiso's hand. Though his back was turned to her, Ayako was certain that his eyes would be a milky white. "Ukubona, ubumnyama obuhlala ngaphakathi."
The smoke expanded, covering the Shaman's torso like a coat. Sanson by this point had returned to the bed, the drugs he brought with him still in his hand. "Ukukhanya. Kuzokhanya." The voice echoed in the room, as if the closed infirmary was a cave, the claustrophobic space enforcing the voice that came from all around them.
Kagiso placed Koleen's hand on her chest, then placed his closed fist on top of it, letting the smoke fall on her form. It wrapped around her like a blanket, Ayako herself could only hazard a guess as to what was occurring, even though she had experienced his Shamanism first hand, back in the Atlantic. A full minute and a half elapsed, before the smoke dispersed and spread the purple hue around the room.
"There definitely is something connected to you. I'm not sure what it is exactly, whether it's detrimental to your being or not. But it's there." The tall Shaman explained, sighing shortly as he pocketed the cracked claw back inside his pouch.
A downcast expression formed on the Witch's face, Sanson approaching carefully, placing the drugs in her other hand. "Perhaps whatever this thing is, it can be placated with you slowing down, Koleen. Take these, the instructions are as written."
She pushed herself up, looking at the medicine as she now sat on the bed. "Stress aside, would this even work? It sounds like a placebo, and if that's the case…"
"Placebos would still work, even if we knew that they were placebos." Kagiso said with a small smile.
"Well, okay then." She buttoned up her uniform before she pushed herself off the bed. Ayako did the same, approaching the Witch with her black kitten.
"Ayako, there's something I need to speak to you about." Kagiso said suddenly, drawing the two's eyes to him. "It's about your body."
"Oh, alright." Ayako turned to her friend, smiling in an attempt to comfort her. "Go on ahead, Kalls."
"Okay, I'll see you outside." the American Witch gave one final nod to the two inside the infirmary, before she made herself scarce, taking her black kitten along with her.
Ayako took a few steps towards the Shaman, hands on her hips as she appraised the taller man. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He spoke in hush tones, as Sanson joined the two, his eyes looking between them with concern. "It's about Koleen."
"Oh?"
"That… essence, that I felt. I could feel it coming from the cat." His words were supported by the serious expression on his face.
"How thick was it?" she asked, her arms moving up to fold over her chest.
"Just like hers." He repeated.
"Do you think it's dangerous?" Sanson asked, just as concerned for the Witch.
"I have no idea. But, there is some kind of bond between them." He further explained to the two.
"How is it any different from contracts?" she asked of him, leaving her weight onto one leg.
"This is more than some kind of contract." He paused, taking a breath for a short pause. "It's, a personal connection. On their own, I would hazard pretty much any guess. But together, I can see the bond between them."
"If this is a bond between Koleen and her cat, then I don't think there's anything we can do." Sanson said, offering his own thoughts for them. "I don't think there's anything we should do. If this connection is personal as you said, then we should let it be."
Ayako sighed, her eyes trialing to the Servant. "She did get the cat in Rome, where a Maine Coon has no reason of existing. We all knew something was up with the cat. Maybe when this is all over, we can finally tell what it actually is."
"And hopefully, whatever this is, is not coming from the cat." Kagiso said, the tone of his voice relaxing slightly.
"Hopefully." Both she and Sanson said together, as she turned on her heel to meet up with her friend.
"So what did you hear?" Ayako asked, as she and Koleen entered her room. She made her way inside her bathroom, as Koleen lingered somewhat near the entrance.
"Hear what?" the Witch asked back, letting the door close behind her. There was something to her voice that Ayako notice, as she washed her face before returning back.
"Come on, you were just outside the infirmary, leaning on the wall as nonchalantly as you could." Ayako said with a smirk, leading her friend to her bed. Her puppet familiar woke up from its slumber, her plans already flashing in its mind.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Koleen tried to deflect, clutching her kitten for comfort, its cries filling the room.
"I guess enough, huh?" Ayako moved to the room's computer as her familiar dimmed the lights in her room. The large mirror that sat at her desk shifted in its function, becoming a screen. "Don't worry, I got something that'll take your mind off of it."
There was a silence that reigned in her room, leaving Ayako to take the opportunity to put on the movie she had. It carried on for a few minutes, before she finally got an answer. "Is everything going to be alright?" she asked, though Ayako could tell that she wasn't expecting an actual answer. Rhetorical, of sorts.
"Probably." She answered nonetheless, being as honest as she could for her friend. She pressed play, letting the intro play out as she made her way towards Koleen, the both of them sitting on the floor with their backs to the bed. "But, whatever it is, we'll be here for you. Don't worry."
Koleen's lips morphed into a light smile, her pink eyes reflecting the movie on the screen. "If it gets bed, I'm going to need you guys."
"I know, Kalls. I know." She wrapped an arm around her friend, their eyes settling on the movie. Her puppet familiar had made its way towards them, sitting itself beside the kitten. "We'd be shit people if we didn't."
"And that's how I know I can count on you guys."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
so we got a short one here! we get to see a more concrete effect of her new body, and to see a bit more of the non Masters that are around.
it's also fun to further expand the friendship between Ayako and Waver.
on another note, from the game side of things, i didn't get BB, which is sad. but i did get XX, which is awesome! i don't think i can ever successfully pull her off here, but if i somehow can, that'll be awesome. but for now, that's just a pipe dream for the long future.
translations!
"Ancestors, I seek your aid."
"To see, the darkness that resides within."
"The. Light. Will. Shine."
and with that out of the way, let's get to the reviews!
Addicted2fanfics: we can definitely expect more for the others! hold on to your belt!
Rotciv557: yeah, i can't wait to see it myself.
Thekiller7: i know what you mean, my dude! Africa is my favorite continent. i spent four years of my childhood there, and it still was some of the best four years of my life.
honestly, DW hardly ever does anything with the Southern Hemisphere. you'd think they'd try something with Australia, or more of South America, but still nothing.
thank god Fate/Requiem has Nzambi. she looks awesome.
King0fP0wers: America's gonna be a wild ride, for everyone involved.
TalonScythe: i've already got some ideas on how the rest of B Team can shine, and it'll be so much fun. and yeah, her body is a lot more stronger now.
well, once again everyone, thanks from dropping by!
leave a review if you guys don't mind, and i'll see you all next time!