"What do you mean no!?"
"No paperwork, no management, no nothing! Take the day off! I got this."
"Gabby you ca- I've got a lot of stuff I need to finish today!"
"I'll finish it for you now go! Have some fun!" Gudao sighed and crossed his arms, leveling an uncertain look at his best friend who stood adamantly in front of his room's door, arms akimbo.
The male master had only just returned from grabbing a quick lunch with Mashu and Fou, who were now with Dr. Roman, only to be met by an orange haired blockade. They'd been arguing for a few minutes, much to the amusement of the crimson haired lancer next to her. Unlike the formal uniform wear of the Chaldean masters, Scathach had a very casual outfit in the form of tight navy jeans and a black turtleneck sweater. She held Gabrielle's coffee cup in one hand, her other hand placed on her hip as her eyes casually glanced between her two masters.
"Gabby. I really nee-"
She pouted. "I'm going to hit you."
"Alright! Fine! I'll go take the day off!" Gudao quickly raised his hands in surrender at his friend's raised fist; He was very much aware of how deceptively, bone-crushingly hard the shorter girl could throw a punch. "The paperwork is on my desk. Roman might come by later with more."
She smirked at her victory and returned to her akimbo stance, winking towards her best friend. "Just have fun, okay? I'll be fine."
"I hope so," He said under his breath making Scathach chuckle. Gabby caught the small statement and rolled her eyes before beginning to push the dark haired male down the hallway. "Okay, okay, I'm going!"
"See you at lunch!" She remarked happily as he began walking off in the direction of the elevators.
The female master walked the few paces back to her closest personal servant, a proud smile on her face that made the lancer chuckle. She stopped in front of Gudao's door, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her master key card to unlock the room. She took a glance at the female servant as a beep resounded, unlocking the door.
"You sure you don't mind keeping me company? Might get a little boring."
"It's fine. Cu, Diarmuid, Fionn, and Fergus are having a Male Irish bonding session. Gods know whatever that could be," Scathach sighed before her gaze turned incredulous at the small blush slowly growing on her friend's face. "I doubt it's anything like that, Gabrielle."
"Don't crush my fantasies!" She complained as her friend rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I'll just grab the paperwork, then we can relax in my room while I... finish... this..."
Gabrielle trailed off as she stared towards Gudao's desk. Perplexed at her sudden loss of voice, the Scottish lancer peered into the room and felt her eyes slowly widen at the sight before her. The room was very much clean, as expected of the neat freak that Gudao was. All of the room was pristine except for his desk, which held three messy, large piles of paperwork. Each of the piles had to be at least two dozen centimeters high as the female master eyed the offending stacks, feeling the strength in her legs being sapped as if a drain spell had been cast upon her.
'There was never this much paperwork in a day.'
"I'll go get you another cup. Or three," Scathach stated simply with a small, amused smile threatening to widen should she watch her friend's predicament any longer. Turning away, she made a beeline for the elevators to get to the cafeteria.
Walking over to the piles, Gabrielle stopped at the desk and picked up the first paper on the closest pile. It was stapled to several more sheets beneath it. Her eyes scanned the typed text and long paragraphs, skimming for possible information on the identity of this particular incident. She never did like how each incident had an official number, this one marked ANI-N21, and preferred the unofficial nicknames created for the more well-known incidents.
As she skimmed the first page, her fingers tightened around the edges of the sheets as she let out a low growl of irritation. This particular incident was still fresh on her mind, partially because it involved her and a certain haughty individual who decided to participate in a bet she thought she could easily win. Things had not gone according to the servant's plants by any means.
"Nero!"
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Fragment 15: Gudao's Day Off
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"...Frodo came forward and took the crown from Faramir and bore it to Gandalf; and Aragorn knelt, and Gandalf set the White Crown upon his head and said:
"Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!"
Anton quietly continued reading to Frankenstein on his morning break as Gudao and Medusa sat across from them, reading their own books. The rider sat closer to the window letting the soft illumination from falling snow make her pages brighter. Frankenstein wore a newer wedding dress with a slightly smaller skirt for mobility. Anton's uniform was kept proper since he had to return to work later, and Medusa favored a blue dress with a throw over for some warmth.
Gudao leaned against the arm of the sofa on the opposite side, quickly skimming through his chosen novel at lightning speed. Medusa made occasional glances his way, as did Anton and Frankenstein, to marvel at his reading ability. Whether it was magecraft enhanced or he bypassed most of the detail was anyone's guess. Regardless of which it was, he was nearly a quarter way through his novel after joining them only an hour ago.
There were many solitary activities Gudao enjoyed, but to combine reading and his interest of spending time with his servants was something he couldn't resist. It had been a bit since he had a long reprieve to spend with his allies off the battlefield and he relished every moment he could with his servants. There was hardly a hero or heroine who thought negatively of Gudao's intent to bond with them, and they certainly appreciated him and Gabrielle that much more for treating them with more than just respect.
Approaching footsteps tore his attention from the book along with the rest of his temporary reading group.
Looking towards the source, the group was met with the pink haired demi-servant quietly approaching. Fou sat on its regular perch on her shoulder, bouncing lightly with each step she took. She wore a simple white blouse with jeans, which was a fairly unusual sight since she often chose to wear her Chaldean uniform even for casual circumstances. She stopped next to Gudao, smiling and bowing towards the other three as Fou hopped off her shoulder to perch on the male master's. The man pet the furry familiar as it licked his cheek.
"I heard you were taking the day off, Senpai," Mashu smiled.
"Yea, I've spent it here reading for now, enjoying the nice company," He complimented as Fou scurried across the sofa back to attack Medusa's cheek. The female servant smiled and pet her assaulter as it continued to lick her. "I'm guessing Gabby told you? She doing alright? I did kinda leave her with a lot of paperwork."
"A little bit of an understatement," She giggled making him wonder what she had seen. "She's fine, Senpai. Just relax and enjoy your day."
"Don't worry, I am," He said simply before returning his attention to the book in front of him. "Is there something you needed?"
"Yes," She responded quickly but quietly, fiddling with her fingers behind her back. "I was wondering if... if Senpai wanted to join me in babysitting Jackie and Alice. It's her birthday today so Tamamo and Irisviel are helping Atalanta with decorating her room in secret. Only if Senpai wants to, of course. It's your day off..."
The reading trio looked at the two with interest, reading the undercurrents easily. Medusa hid her small knowing smile thanks to Fou's continued adorable assault, this time rubbing itself against her stomach from her lap. Gudao pondered for a bit, not minding the idea too much considering the novel he was reading was a second read through. While he did spend the most time with Mashu, it was almost always work related or in combat. In fact, he wasn't able to recall the last time he had spent any prolonged amount of free time with his first servant. Mind easily made up, he gave Mashu a small smile and nod.
"Sure, sounds fun," He chuckled as he slid a bookmark into his novel and closed it. He reached down to a small pack at his feet to put the book away, oblivious to the slight blush that appeared on his kouhai's cheeks before slowly disappearing. Had she noticed the knowing glints in the looks from the other three, it probably would have deepened.
"Enjoy yourself, you two," Medusa said with a small smile, watching as Fou hopped back to Gudao before jumping off his back and into Mashu's waiting arms.
"Uuuu..."
"Same goes for you three," Gudao replied as he waved to the group and got up, following Mashu towards the door of the library. Fou squirmed a bit in Mashu's arms before breaking free and perching on top of her head, occasionally looking around like a meerkat. The group watched as the pair left the double doors of the library before turning to each other.
"He has no idea, does he?" Anton asked as he took one last glance where they disappeared. Frankenstein giggled softly next to him.
"Typical," Medusa chuckled as she shook her head lightly. "But she is a bit reserved. Unlike a certain other two servants..."
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A dark aura surrounded a certain caster clad in a blue floral kimono with black obi-age. Tamamo gripped the corner of the hallway with such intensity that the employees approaching from the opposing branch stopped like gazelle before a hungry lioness. Her tense glare was not directed at them thankfully, and they took the opportunity to retreat from the angry caster in the direction they came. The servant's eyes were glued to the backs of Gudao and Mashu as they retreated down the hallway and disappeared into Salon de Marie. She let a low, frustrated growl escape her lips at the sight.
She had just finished helping Atalanta and Irisviel decorate Jack's room for her surprise party, and was headed to the kitchen to see if Boudica needed any extra help with the cupcakes. Irisviel and Atalanta were preoccupied with last minute wrapping of their own presents while the fox caster had extra time in the days before since she was not on any of the training session rosters. Tamamo had intended to help out in the kitchen in prep for the party, but this new predicament threw a wrench into her plans.
Boudica and Emiya should be fine; Her heart could not allow this to happen.
With clenched fists, Tamamo began walking towards the Salon before her eyes widened in recognition of another servant that appeared from the women's bathroom near the cafeteria entrances. Her eyes narrowed and she grit her teeth at the sight of her current love rival as Kiyohime walked into plain view wearing a jade green kimono with white obi-age. The berserker stopped upon sensing the other servant and slowly turned to meet the eyes of the fox caster and glared. The two servants swiftly approached each other before they stopped within centimeters of the other, both glaring and bearing their teeth at the other.
"Well if it isn't the fox slut."
"How dare you, dragon-breathed hag!"
""What did you just call me!?"
"Your name of course, hag!"
From further down the hallway, a lone black-haired employee turned the corner, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of the two female rivals engaging in verbal war. She quickly reached behind her back and fumbled with a handheld radio, a new standard issue to every Chaldean employee since the 'Heroine X Incident.' She held the radio to her mouth as she peaked around the corner to stare at the two arguing servants from supposed safety.
She had to keep eyes on the situation so she couldn't keep tabs on the two from the recommended safety distance of three hundred meters from the infamous rivals without losing visual. The thirty meters would have to do. "Security central. We have a potential Code Valentine at the entrance to the cafeteria. Please have a reaction unit on standby!"
The sounds of quick scrambling sounded over the radio as the female employee received a confirmation of the message. A small force of robots and a few servants served as the Rapid Reaction Force that quickly answered most of Chaldea's more potentially destructive incidents... though this was one of the more standardized codes due to its common occurrence rate. To prevent accidentally making an incident spill over, the reaction force was almost always kept on standby until necessary, though they would deploy to within quick response distance. She just hoped they would reach the area in time.
"I don't have time to waste on you, so just go away and leave Gudao alone!"
"I can't just let Gudao be taken by Mashu like that so I'm not going anywhere, especially if it means you're near him as well!"
"Oh so you saw that too? You're more perceptive than I thought," Tamamo stated haughtily with crossed arms as Kiyohime grit her teeth. The employee down the hall began sweating a bit. To her surprise though, Kiyohime seemed to calm down slightly.
"Hmm," Kiyohime mused out loud, making Tamamo raise her eyebrow. "Maybe we shouldn't fight here. I doubt master or anyone would appreciate us destroying the cafeteria."
"I doubt you'd appreciate me kicking your ass again anyway."
Kiyohime growled. "Look. Mashu is trying to take our man away from us. Again. This is serious."
Tamamo raised an eyebrow. "Are you inferring we team up? Not happening. Not off the battlefield, you know this."
"Like I'd ever be friends with you again. It's a temporary alliance or we both lose Gudao to her. If we fight, Mashu takes the victory. I thought you were good at strategy, Tamamo."
After scoffing, Tamamo growled back and bared her teeth at Kiyohime again. "Of course I am! Fine! A temporary alliance it is!"
Tamamo held her hand out and Kiyohime reluctantly shook it quickly before letting go. Further down the hallway, the female employee's eyes were nearly dropping out of their sockets in surprise. No one could blame her since she just witnessed one of Chaldea's most intense rivalries end in what appeared to be a temporary alliance. While she couldn't hear the exact words, it was obvious by the lack of thrown spells that this was suddenly the case. She reached for her radio to inform security the situation was stable. "By my lucky stars... I'm glad that ended fine."
Unfortunately for Gudao, he suddenly had more lucky stars he unknowingly needed to find.
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Jack giggled as she continued to color in pictures with Nursery Rhyme in a book she had received earlier that week. The caster wore a black blouse and zebra print sweatpants while her foster sister wore a beautiful black dress and silver tiara. Their slippers were discarded nearby, favoring to go barefoot on the plush carpet of the lounge. Fou sat on the rug between them, curled happily next to the two small servants and receiving their warmth. Jack sat in a more refined posture for a dress while Nursery Rhyme lay on her belly, kicking her feet in the air behind her. Their backpacks were discarded on the couch behind them.
On the other side of the coloring book from them sat Gudao and Mashu with their backs to the massive window, both with their legs underneath them in a traditional Asian posture. The packets of crayons sat between them, occasionally disturbed when one of the two had to hand the smaller servants a particular color. Small smiles graced their faces as they watched the two girls work, completely oblivious to being observed from the other side of the lounge by the two kimono clad females.
The two stared at the small group from the safety of a small booth. They were far enough away to not raise suspicion, though their respective matching veils only increased their presence. It didn't help a very signature headpiece and furry fox ears poked out of the veils as dead giveaway to their identities, not that the open faced clothes did much to hide their faces in the first place. Credit had to be given to them for even trying to conceal themselves, but there was simply no feasible way to do it without appearing completely absurd.
"The veils are a dumb idea."
"Better than your no ideas."
"Just shut up and keep observing. The first sign of trouble we move in."
Tamamo growled but stopped when they felt the approach of another servant. Looking up, the two noticed the completely surprised and confused look of Sanson as he stared at the two females. The uniform-dressed assassin held a tray in one hand with a pitcher of water and glasses perched on top. The pitcher was made of well-designed glass that resembled crystal, with light reflecting off its various edges to create an ever shimmering look. He had both eyebrows raised, his usual stoic look completely shattered at the sight of one of the last visuals anyone thought they would see in Chaldea.
"What's the occasion?" He asked simply as he distributed the glasses and placed the water pitcher in the center between the two. The two simultaneously reached for the pitcher and growled before Tamamo quickly acquired it first with a smug smirk.
"This is only temporary," Kiyohime explained calmly while giving Tamamo a stink eye.
"I see. So still eternal love rivals then?"
"Of course. Only one may have Gudao," Tamamo explained with a small smirk. "Though I do have the edge since I had previous competition with Empress Nero. She was intelligent enough not to make another rivalry with me this time around... unlike Kiyohime."
Kiyohime narrowed her eyes at the caster across from her. "We are in alliance, do not forget."
"Just because we are in alliance does not mean we can't trade verbal jabs. I will work with you until we confirm the threat has passed, then it's back to love business as usual."
The two traded glances and let out simultaneous hmphs before crossing their arms at the same time. Sanson looked between the two before internally shrugging and decided to leave the two to their business. As long as they weren't tearing up the salon, he supposed Marie would be happy with the situation. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the fragile alliance in case anything went south in a heartbeat, which could likely happen considering the two in question. The pair turned their attention back to observing the group by the window, noting it had suddenly become more active.
"Ah! Fou, I need that crayon!"
Jack giggled. "Get him, Alice!"
Nursery Rhyme was currently trying to grasp the crayon from the mouth of a playful Fou who sat just out of reach of the caster. She pouted as she had to crawl forward a bit to reach the furry familiar only to have it simply hop away and drop the crayon at its feet. It stared back at her with a playful look, tilting its head to the side. The young caster managed to crawl forward and pluck the crayon from in front of Fou before rolling back to her spot and beginning to color with it. In exchange, Fou walked over and plucked another of Nursery Rhyme's crayons.
"Hey! Fou!"
Jack giggled as Fou returned to its out-of-reach position and placed the crayon down at its feet before chirping happily. Gudao looked between Nursery Rhyme and the furry familiar and connected the dots as he looked at the crayon. Looking to the packets of crayons, he grabbed the much larger jumbo set and pulled out the black utensil. The three girls looked at him as he quietly murmured a chant under his breath, reinforcing the crayon slightly. He opened his eyes and looked towards the two young servants.
"You don't need to color with black, right girls?" He received shaking heads as a response.
Looking towards Fou, Gudao reached over and plucked the stolen crayon. He returned it to Alice's nearby pile before holding the crayon out to Fou and tilting his head. Fou's playful eyes looked towards the crayon as it got up from its sitting position, its tail wagging in anticipation. In a swift but light movement, Gudao tossed the crayon a distance away and watched Fou jet towards the crayon like a playful puppy. Mashu's eyes widened and she smiled at Gudao's swift ability to guess what Fou had silently requested.
"Guess Fou just wants to play fetch," Gudao chuckled as the furry animal hopped back towards them with the large crayon in its mouth.
It carefully placed the crayon back on the ground near Gudao before sitting down and wagging its tail. It tilted its head as Gudao quickly picked the crayon back up and faked a throw, making Fou run before stopping and turning back towards the male master in slight annoyance. The girls giggled as he threw the crayon just above the animal's head, making it jump into the air to grab the crayon in its teeth and falling lightly onto its back. It rolled over and made its way back to Gudao as the group lightly clapped for its display.
"Can I try?" Jack asked, her crayons now discarded nearby as she looked towards Gudao hopefully. Gudao nodded before smiling with a little mischief in his eyes.
"Of course, Jackie! It's your birthday after all."
He quickly picked up the crayon and tossed it towards Jack, who caught it quickly and easily with her enhanced reflexes. She was not expecting the furry animal to jump over the book and tackle the assassin, making her fall backwards in some surprise as the furry animal wiggled on top of her as it tried to get the crayon. Jack laughed loudly as she tried to keep the crayon from Fou, whose tail was happily wagging in the air above the wrestling duo. Nursery Rhyme giggled next to her foster sister before she crawled over to try and help get a very playful Fou off of her.
Gudao felt a nudge from his kouhai's elbow and looked towards Mashu who had a look of both slight chastisement but more amusement. "That was a little mean, Senpai."
"They don't seem to think so," He stated plainly as he smiled and pointed towards the two girls hugging the playful animal as it held the crayon in its mouth. Jack carefully plucked the crayon out of its mouth with its content before tossing it to her side, laughing as it jumped out of their grasp and chased after the makeshift stick. It swiftly returned with the item and dropped it before rubbing its head against Jack, eliciting more giggles.
From the other side of the room, Tamamo watched with yearning eyes as Kiyohime eyed her with a slightly incredulous look. The look was more of jealousy however, as the berserker was well aware of how much time the fox caster got to spend with the adorable pair of adopted sisters. Tamamo noticed the look and pouted towards the berserker before turning back towards the group.
"What? They're always so cute! I want to join them but we'll be exposed!"
"I know what you mean," Kiyohime sighed, causing the caster to look at her with a raised eyebrow. The berserker stared back incredulously. "What, am I not allowed to think it's cute too!?"
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"You didn't have to work out with me, Senpai."
"It's alright, Mashu. I missed my usual morning routine in exchange for reading."
"If you say so," Mashu smiled as she curled some weights near him. While she could activate her circuits and servant capabilities at will, she took the time to train her physical attributes properly. They had left Fou in the care of the two young servants, though the furry animal hardly minded the extra playtime as opposed to watching his two caretakers train.
It was a little embarrassing for Gudao since Mashu was capable of lifting weights far above what he could, though she would never dream of rubbing it in his face. He was glad for that as he stopped watching her and turned back to his currently racked weight above him. He lay on his back on the bench press, a simple white shirt and black gym shorts making his workout uniform. Small glimpses of Mashu's deceptively feminine form lingered in his mind, more on the side of admiration for having such strength while retaining a non-muscular look.
There were also some stray thoughts of her workout clothing, from her tight purple tank top down to her black workout shorts that clung to he-
'Stop right there,' Gudao chastised himself as he internally smacked himself for having slightly impure thoughts of his kouhai.
He unracked the bar and felt all of the eighty kilograms of weight feed pressure into his arms. Slowly he began his reps and felt his left elbow giving him disapproving soreness making him mentally groan. That elbow had been acting up on him occasionally since it was injured from flying debris during the American campaign. He could never thank his casters enough for being so adept at healing.
Unknowingly to him, multiple eyes were upon him as he finished his fourth rep.
Mashu was passing him some lingering glances as she continued to casually curl her heavier than usual weight. Across the gymnasium from the two were Kiyohime and Tamamo, both on identical leg press machines. They were slowly working their leg muscles while their eyes were glued to their master, appreciating the tone of his arms that usually remained hidden beneath the very conservative uniform. The berserker and caster shared similar workout clothes in the form of sports bras and gym shorts, though Tamamo favored a blue and black color scheme as opposed to Kiyohime's turquoise pair.
The two looked at each other and confirmed they were both staring, before they quickly huffed and returned to their workouts in an attempt to see who could do more squats than the other.
Gudao racked the weight and let out a breath of air, content with lying on the bench. The room was a little hotter than usual today since a few of the air conditioning units were pumping more hot air than they were supposed to. There wasn't a single person in the room without a light sheen of sweat on their skin. The top edges of Mashu's top were slightly damp from the sweat, and Gudao's shirt was beginning to cling to him. He sighed in frustration at the hot conditions before sitting up, gauging in his mind how many more sets he needed to do before he moved on to the lats machi-
"Hey Gudao! A bit heavier weight today, eh?" Mashu and Gudao turned to see Fergus and Robin making their way towards the two.
The archer had a towel draped over his neck, sweat drenching the top of his green tank top and visible skin. His orange hair was slightly matted down from being damp but his black shorts were loose enough to avoid cling. Fergus only wore blue gym shorts and let the very visible sheen of sweat reflect light off of the many angles of his well-toned muscles. He quickly downed an entire water bottle before tossing it behind him, landing it in a trash can nearly fifty meters behind him. Gudao knew the muscular servant was clearly taking care of his daily workout, or showing-off to be more specific.
"Yea, Gabby said I need to work to heavier reps."
Fergus laughed as he reached the master before patting him roughly on the back. "That lass is quite the strong one, she is. May be a mini Scathach someday!"
"Keeping him guarded, Mashu?" Robin asked with a small smirk.
"I'm keeping him company on his day off," She replied, deflecting his simple jab. He chuckled in response.
"Rough to spend some of your day off in here though. This temperature is horrible," the archer stated as he ran a hand through his damp hair. Fergus simply laughed next to him.
"Nothing like tough conditions to build tougher muscles! Gains are important!"
"Glad someone's enthusiastic about this heat at least," Gudao chuckled as he got up from the bench. He looked down to see a small imprint of sweat and groaned, looking for where he placed his clean towel so he could wipe it down.
"Hey master, that shirt's becoming awfully drenched. You should take it off and showcase your gains proudly!" Fergus boomed cheerily as he flexed in various poses, much to the annoyance of his friend who took a sip of his own water.
Robin sighed. "I wish that employee never told you what that word meant... you use it too much."
Gudao was aware the saber had convinced the archer to become his workout buddy after enough drinking sessions together. Robin Hood had almost no interest in workout sessions until Fergus related it to another form of prep, but it involved the physical body instead of traps and poisons. The idea was still laughable to Robin, who had to drop his enhanced strength like any other servant in order to make heavier weights actually require effort. Whether it was more for show or for kicks, a servant really didn't need to workout like a human did and sparring was a better option.
Some even believe most servants do it as a hobby, though Robin would state it's still a strange activity for them to have. Maybe it just made them feel that much more alive again. As long as his servants were content, Gudao didn't mind either way. He just enjoyed seeing them appreciating their time here in various ways, as he noticed Robin was secretly doing. "Don't listen to muscle head, just do what you want, Master."
"Ah don't be like that. I'm sure our master has some great muscles to show off! Here, watch!"
Without any warning, Fergus walked over to Gudao who had stopped to turn to him. In one swift movement, Fergus ripped the white shirt off the master, revealing a surprisingly well toned body and a feint set of abs. They were nowhere near as defined and chiseled as many servants walking about, but they were apparent along with the nice contours of other visible muscles. What was also now visible was the small blush on his cheeks on being exposed by one of his servants without permission, with the saber in question laughing heartily at his act.
"Yea! You see? He's got a nice growing set for the ladies! Ain't that right, Mashu?"
Gudao turned to Mashu to see she had completely frozen, the weights in her arms caught in a fully curled position as she stared with a flushed face towards the master's visible torso. Noticing she had been caught, she tried to look at various other places only to spot more embarrassing sights such as Fergus grinning proudly or Robin aiming an amused eyebrow and smirk towards her.
Across the room, both Tamamo and Kiyohime were also frozen in place after several hundred squats each, looking with interested faces towards their now exposed master. Kiyohime greedily admired his toned muscles and chest, her mind amplifying the sight several fold simply because he was her beloved. Tamamo seemed to take it more in stride, though she was still admiring the eye candy. The two didn't even care to bicker towards the other for staring at the prize as they were more content with enjoying the glorious sight they have been blessed with.
A servant nearby cleared their throat, drawing the attention of the two ogling females. They were met with the slightly annoyed face of a small servant as her dragon like tail swung behind her impatiently. Two small horns sprouted from beneath her vibrant pink hair as sky blue eyes stared narrowed at the two girls. Her pale arms were crossed over her black shirt with a pink microphone design on the front, while white shorts covered past her knees. The two females stared at one of Chaldea's self-proclaimed idols as she rolled her eyes.
"You two piggies have been hogging the leg press machines for the past twenty minutes. Can I at least get a quick turn while you two undress Gudao with your eyes?"
The two love rivals looked at each other, narrowing their gazes slightly as their eyes met before the lancer had to clear her throat again. "You can keep stalking on the exercise bikes if that's what you want to do."
"Fine."
"All your's, Liz."
The two girls let out similar scoffs while they got off their machines and headed towards the exercise bikes. The lancer rolled her eyes at the two as they began bickering between each other, reminding her of Tamamo's former, heated rivalry with Nero. At least the lancer got to finally use the machine for fun.
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"Don't take my star! Don't you dare take my star, Guda- SCREW YOU!"
Gudao laughed as Tyler smacked the master on the arm as his on screen character seized the star on the virtual board. A mushroom headed figure soon pointed out a new location for another star, closer to another figure controlled by Lord El Melloi II than Tyler's own. The dark skinned employee let out an audible groan as his gaming rival let out a chuckle, earning him a smack on his arm.
The three were squeezed onto the same couch along with Mashu, who took up the end space next to Gudao with Chaldea's humans taking up the center spots. Tyler wore his uniform loose as always during his chosen break session while the caster sported a red and gold robe with black pants underneath. The robe had the logo of Chaldea embroidered on its right side above the heart which glimmered regardless of the light's direction. The older male casually held his controller in one hand as he enjoyed Tyler's constant misfortune.
"I thought you wanted to bond with us?"
Gudao looked at the employee with a raised eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"
"Is something wro- We're playing Mario Party. Mario. Party," the employee emphasized with two hands as he gestured to the screen, making the caster chuckle. "This game stands with M-Kart, Monopoly, Dokapon Kingdom, and a few other titles as games that destroy friendships!"
Gudao blinked. "We've been playing it for half an hour and you only just now mention this?"
"Because he was winning."
Tyler smacked his rival on the arm once more causing him to laugh loudly. "Shut up, Waver. That's not the point!"
Gudao laughed. "I see. Well, who knows. Maybe this star? Lucky six?"
Tyler rolled his eyes but chuckled, rolling the virtual dice to decide his movement and getting up from his seat and cheering when he landed a six, the exact number he needed to jump past the caster's character and claim the star from him. The older man scowled as Tyler made a display of a small victory dance, slowly moving himself between his friend and the screen much to the displeasure of Lord El Melloi but the total amusement of Gudao and Mashu.
"Thank yoooouuuu, Gudao for blessing my wonderful roll!" Tyler cheered before getting jabbed in the stomach by his friend, making the employee chuckle while holding his stomach. "You hit like a girl, Mister Caster!"
"I wouldn't have to if you didn't take hits like one!"
Gudao laughed as he watched the two before settling down when Mashu tapped on his arm to get his attention. Looking towards his demi-servant, the girl pointed towards the nearby couch at the lazing figure of Iskandar. He wore his signature Admirable Tactics shirt and blue jeans, his shoes clear off his feet and discarded on the ground as he barely even twitched in his sleep. His light snoring could be heard over the unmuted party music coming from the game. Several empty bags of chips lay around him on the couch, floor, coffee table, and himself.
"Ah don't worry about that. The big guy sleeps through explosions on Battlefield, he can sleep through this no problem," Tyler explained as he squeezed back into his seat.
Mashu and Gudao passed one last glance at the King of Conquerors who inhaled sharply, causing a slightly louder snore, before he reached a hand to his stomach and scratched. The hand fell unceremoniously back to the floor as he continued snoring, much to the amusement of the two. The lord and employee were exchanging rivaling glances next to the pair.
Outside in the hallway, Tamamo and Kiyohime were listening through a sound amplification device they had acquired from Babbage after making various, very poor excuses for requiring such a device from the engineering group; He probably gave it to them just so he could get back to development instead of being pestered by the love rival alliance. Tamamo was positioning the amplifier against the wall to Kiyohime's direction, with the berserker whispering to the caster.
"They're definitely just playing games. I can just tell over Iskandar's snoring."
Tamamo chuckled at the observation. "Maybe we should take the time to get our late lunch. Nothing happened when they played cards with the Romans and I'm getting hungry."
"A good idea for once. Me too. I think it should be safe for now."
Passing employees gave the two very strange and wary looks but were internally grateful they weren't causing a sudden incident. Many would dare say they were even getting along.
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"Aim a little higher, Master. That's it. Now exhale and release."
An arrow flew through the air and struck a wooden training target fifteen meters away on its outer rim. A few other arrows penetrated various parts of the training bullseye erected for the male master, with none near the center of the target and a few scattered on the ground around it. Mashu gave Gudao a golf clap from a few feet behind him as he lowered the wooden composite bow. He sighed and looked next to him at Arash with a small smile. He wore his usual combat outfit with the addition of a blue scarf around his neck. The archer laughed and patted the master on the shoulder lightly.
"Not bad for your first time ever holding a bow, I'd say."
"Well done, Senpai."
"Thanks, Arash. I have so much more respect for you legendary archers now."
He placed the bow down next to the small stand of remaining arrows some servants had quickly acquired for him. The bow was just another practice bow for any employee to use should they feel encouraged enough to practice alongside the heroic spirits. Gudao hadn't intended to pick up a bow and start practicing; He and Mashu only came to the range to see how the servants here were doing. Some encouraging words from several archers later, Arash and another servant were teaching him the basics of archery for his understanding.
"I think I might have to come here more often. Sure took some of the feeling of stress away."
"Great! That's good to hear."
The trio turned to look at the returning helper servant, clad in a red jacket similar in color to his combat outfit's robe. He wore black slacks and carried a large satchel of arrows and an accompanying quiver on his back as opposed to the usual endless rice bag. Long green hair was tied into a ponytail and swung behind his back while its bangs were kept partially away from his face by a black headband. His sun kissed skin could have been tanned by his golden pupils that almost seemed to glow like sunset in the right light. He gave a bright smile as he hefted the large satchel of arrows off his back and onto the ground next to him.
Gudao blinked as he stared at the satchel. "Um, Tawara-san... What are those arrows for?"
The muscular man chuckled as he placed the empty quiver next to the satchel. "It's for you of course, master! You weren't going to leave until these were all fired, right?"
Gudao paled and Arash laughed at his fellow archer's antics. Mashu walked up to Gudao and rubbed his back in a soothing manner upon seeing his suddenly exasperated expression. "I didn't think this is what you guys meant by learning."
"Of course! A hundred without the quiver than a hundred more with the quiver! You can handle that, right master?"
Gudao's groans were cut off by a volley of shots from Drake's flintlocks further down the firing line. Mashu and Arash chuckled at his expense as he did what he usually did when presented with a daunting task. He dragged his feet to the bow and picked it up before grabbing one of the last arrows in the stand and prepared to nock the projectile. Regardless of what the task was, he always met it head on and one step at a time like Gabrielle taught him. While their methods now differ, he is at least glad they now shared an endless determination to see things through thanks to her.
"Only one way to make these arrows disappear then."
"Aha, that's the spirit!"
From the spectator area in the firing line, a few resting servants and employees stared perplexed at the pair of love rivals staring at the learning session through shared binoculars. They were constantly squirming and working together to move the lone pair of binoculars to a better vantage point, creating an interesting show for those watching. Nobunaga sat with a half-eaten sandwich still in her hands as she stared at the commotion, finding much more amusement in the bickering pair than the thought of surprising the entire line with some new tricks she learned with her rifles. 'Huh. They're actually sharing.'
"You didn't have another pair?"
"You took them a long time ago, remember? We'll have to make do."
"Mashu didn't pull a move right? Tota is partially blocking the view."
"We're fine. She seems to be keeping her distance. But we must stay vigilant!"
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"They still following us?"
"Of course. It's Tamamo and Kiyohime after all."
The pair laughed as they walked down the hallway. "I'm just surprised they haven't broken into a fight with each other once."
There was a small pause as Gudao thought of the two jealous servants and what they must have possibly been thinking the entire time. There was no one in Chaldea who didn't recognize their unending show of affection towards him; No matter how many times he tried to turn them down, they kept up their act as if he hadn't said a word. It was a little tiring at times, but also flattering to know such beautiful servants considered him worthy of a relationship. It did give the two some extra amusement when they noticed the rival pair and their strange antics thoughout the day.
"Sorry that archery session soaked up the rest of the time, Mashu."
"It's alright, Senpai. You learned a lot and did well!"
"I haven't spent much time with you and I hope to keep finding opportunities to do so in the future. Promise. But, thanks for keeping me company today Mashu. I enjoyed my day off thanks to you coming along and suggesting places to go."
Gudao smiled towards the girl at his side and kept walking towards his room with her. The master turned back forward in time to miss the light blush that appeared on the girl's cheeks. "You're welcome, Senpai. Thanks for spending the day with me too."
Gudao had just finished the lessons barely ten minutes ago and he was intent on getting another proper shower before Jack's dinner party later tonight. He had spent time with countless groups of servants today, though he felt regretful that the most quality time he spent with Mashu was limited. The best of it was during their play session with Jack and Nursery Rhyme. She had mainly sat next to him and contributed in conversation like when they visited Dantes' little group or visited Roman in his office.
As he thought about it, he realized Mashu was only supposed to join him up until the workout session, but he certainly didn't mind the surprise company regardless of her reasons for doing so. He greatly appreciated every moment he got to spend with his first servant and friend within Chaldea. She'd always been there for him, and was always eager to ensure his happiness. Though perhaps he didn't get to show his full appreciation today, perhaps another time he could show her how much she meant to him.
The pair stopped in front of Gudao's door and Mashu bowed towards him. "I have some things to finish with Dr. Roman as discussed earlier. I'll meet you and Gabrielle at dinner, Senpai."
"Of course. Thanks again for-" He was cut off by a surprise quick hug from the shorter girl as she wrapped her arms lightly around his torso.
Shaking himself from the shock, he returned the light embrace warmly with a single arm, very much aware of the potential danger. Down the hallway, the two love rivals were bickering almost too loudly on whether or not it was more than a friendly hug, though they didn't make a move surprisingly. The last thing Gudao needed was to be assaulted by two angry females, but it was very apparent they couldn't agree on the interpretation to his relief. After breaking the hug, Mashu gave one last smile before walking further down the hallway, likely to head to the medical wing.
Gudao smiled softly as he watched Mashu disappear around a corner before turning his attention back to his room. Opening the door with his key card, he looked inside to find the stacks of paperwork missing. Deciding to put off the shower for a minute or two, he turned around and approached Gabrielle's room. He could have entered with the key card like the female master always did, revenge for her doing it to him so many times, but he was always the perfectly polite one and chose not to break that trend. He knocked twice and awaited an answer.
"Come in," Came the firm voice of Scathach from within.
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Gabrielle's room was almost completely identical to Gudao's in terms of layout. There were extra dressers near her bed and a vanity case for her personal needs, but everything else was roughly standard for the master's wing save for the couch with coffee table which came from her old one. There were some clothes lying about here and there, typical for the slightly messier master, though the rest of the room remained relatively clean. Assorted posters and calendars of half-naked men in various postures were great reminders of how different the two masters actually were in terms of maturity levels.
Gudao opened the door and quickly let himself in before shutting the door behind him. Upon turning around he was greeted with a sight that instantly brought him to laughter. Scathach was on the bed, holding back tiny chuckles of her own from behind the opened novel held to her mouth, as they both stared at the partially zombified Gabrielle sitting at her desk. She had bags under her eyes somehow after barely half a day of paperwork, with several empty coffee mugs scattered about on a nearby dresser within arm's reach. She groaned as she looked at Gudao who had to lean against the wall for support from his fit.
"So this is why you weren't at lunch! My god, Gabby, you look horrible!"
"Save me..." She groaned out as she weakly held a hand out to her best friend in an exaggerated show. "How do you manage to do so much..."
"I'm the quicker reader and writer, remember? Now, how much have you gone through?"
He looked at the separate piles with one stack much higher than the rest. The smaller pile only had a few dozen reports stacked together while the taller one threatened to tip over had it not been propped against the wall. "I'm hoping that's the finished pile."
"You should be happy for her, it actually is the finished pile," Scathach praised from the bed, lowering the book now that she had her own potential laughter under control.
"Wow. Impressive, Gudako. You make me so proud sometimes."
Gabrielle rolled her eyes at the half compliment before closing them and mouthing a quiet 'screw you.' She rubbed her eyes with her hands and groaned a bit before grabbing the coffee mug closest to her and taking a sip. The speed at which she began to perk up was a little disturbing, though she was always the coffee addict in their Mages Association days. She took in a deep breath and let it out before giving a small smile towards the male master.
"Oh glorious coffee."
"That's always scary to watch."
"Oh shut up," She said as she rolled her eyes once more. "So. Did you enjoy your day?"
"Sure did. Mashu kept me company the whole time and I got to spend some nice moments with a lot of the servants."
Gabrielle's smile grew. "Great! See? Wasn't it a good idea?"
"Yea, no argument there."
"Good. Cause I have the best ideas, of course." She wasn't going to tell him she told Mashu to make sure he had a great time; That was a secret to be kept between the girls.
It was Gudao's turn to roll his eyes as he turned to leave his best friend to finish the paper work. "I'm going to go take a shower. Before dinner. I smell like snow and Nobunaga's gunpowder."
"Wait, don't leave me with these last demons!"
"See you in a bit, Gabby. Thanks again for taking care of the logistics and management paperwork for the week!"
"Wait, week!? WEEK!? Get back here, Gudork!"
Scathach didn't even bother to conceal her laughter this time.
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Tamamo and Kiyohime watched from down the corridor as Gudao made his way back into his room and shut the door as Gabrielle continued to yell from her own. Content that nothing was going to happen between him and Mashu, the two girls turned towards each other and nodded. They had surprisingly gotten more and more accepting of the other's actions, even bickering considerably less than at the start of their alliance. But all things have to come to an end, and now that Gudao was in his room alone, the pair had nothing more to fear.
"That's that then," Tamamo sighed. "I still think it was a friendly hug."
"You're blind... but it doesn't matter at this point. Our alliance can disband now that our love interest is no longer threatened."
The two nodded to each other once more before standing there awkwardly. Tamamo should finally go to check on the sweets the others had prepared and felt bad she diverted to indulge in her envious chase. It was far more rewarding in a way she didn't expect, and she'd think about it deeper when she left to retrieve Jack's present from her room. But it was Kiyohime who made the first move and turned around to walk down the hallway with barely the thought of a last minute insult on her mind.
Tamamo fiddled with her fingers in front of her as she watched the berserker leaving. "Kiyohime, wait..."
The green haired girl stopped and turned to look at the caster, an eyebrow raised in confusion as she crossed her arms to stare at her love rival. The caster shifted on her feet before looking towards the other servant. She quickly scanned the hallway around them and noted no employees were nearby. Clearing her throat softly, she looked back at Kiyohime with an uncertain face.
"Today was... fun."
Kiyohime looked taken back as she slowly uncrossed her arms, looking down to her feet as she too shifted uncomfortably. "Yea... It was nice after the rough start."
There was an awkward silence as the two kimono clad servants stood across from each other. They both looked up at the same time to stare at each other, but without a hint of jealousy or anger in their eyes. It was the glimpse of something that should have been a constant between the two Asian servants, though on a much more cordial level than what was even shown. It is at that moment Tamamo decided to take the leap.
"You know... It'd be nice if we could email each other again... I missed that."
"Yea... That was also nice."
A new awkward silence almost formed before a tiny smile broke onto the two girls faces at the same time. They had been email pals at first, and they could have wound up best friends had they not simply fallen in love with the same person and become rivals since their almost simultaneous arrival in Chaldea. Since then it was mostly insults, bickering, and catfights since they discovered their mutual open infatuation for Gudao.
"I... wouldn't mind if we had a nice conversation now and again... like we used to, though in person this time."
"Me neither..."
The smiles the two wore grew slightly and the two giggled. It was the start of what could have been a touching moment, but a sudden determined yet wary look crossed onto Tamamo's face. To the berserker's surprise, her sudden seriousness seemed forced. "But we'll still be love rivals."
Kiyohime smirked. "Obviously. But you will lose to me and Gudao will be mine!"
"In your dreams, Kiyohime! Gudao's belongs to me!"
"Fox whore!"
"Dragon-breathed skank!"
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. There were likely many more choice words to accompany the remaining steps, but it was progress however small.