By the Bonfire: Distant Memories.
For Gwyndolin to be seen outside of his room was a rare sight. Ever since he had arrived, his presence had been negligible. He had avoided contact with virtually everyone present in Chaldea – including Havel – and only ever emerged whenever it related to another God.
The incident where he had spoken with Euryale had been the longest he had been seen in nearly a week. Suffice to say that of the Servants that had been summoned, he was on the far end of being isolationist.
Through entirely his own choice.
Gwyndolin stared straight ahead of himself as his body slithered through the halls of Chaldea, he considered it fortunate that no one was present to see him. He very much enjoyed avoiding conversation with anyone he had no business with and he had never been one for conversing with Mortals anyway. Not even Havel was among those he wished to converse with, although that was for an entirely different reason altogether.
He knew the Bishop was aware of why it was best neither of them conversed, they hadn't been particularly close beforehand and the incident had only soured whatever potential relationship they could have had.
In truth, Gwyndolin had only allowed himself to be summoned to Chaldea in order to spite Sulyvahn and outlast him. He'd achieved that and as for why he stayed…
There was a chance he'd see some old acquaintances again. That would have been amicable. Not his family though. Save Filianore and Gwyn. As for Yorshka…that would depend upon how she might be summoned.
He approached the room to which he had been called to, he'd never directly conversed with this 'Da Vinci' before and he'd had no real interest to make the attempt before today. However, she had gone through the trouble of sending him a message to meet with him. At the very least, it would be poor form for him to decline the invitation. He would also impress upon her that it was the Gods who summoned mortals and not the other way around.
The God came to a halt in front of her door, staring at it before he made to press one of the small buttons to grant entry. The door opened up before he could, the smiling face of the Caster on the other side greeted him.
"Ah! There you are!" She beamed, turning around and gesturing for him to enter "Come in, come in. I just need your assistance with something, probably won't take long at all." she wandered into her workshop, Gwyndolin stood by the door for a few moments before his delicate lips pulled into a faint frown.
"Thou art most arrogant to believeth thee can so casually calleth upon the god of the darkmoon as though I w're-" He spoke in an indignant tone of voice as he entered, planning on further berating her before his eyes caught sight of something sitting upon her table. The Gods words died on his lips as his mouth remained slightly parted before it closed shut.
"We picked this up in the last Singularity." Da Vinci explained as she moved around the table, resting both her hands on the wood and staring at the basin with a studious expression "It's definitely Divine in origin but I've got very little experience in dealing with the works of Gods. I can probably unravel it shortly enough but I figured I could always consult a resident God and see if they had-"
"Beest silent f'r a moment." Gwyndolin whispered out to her, Da Vinci gave him a pout as he continued to stare at the golden basin. Shifting his body to face the table, he slowly moved over to it until he came to a halt around a foot from the object in question. His lips pulled themselves into a thin line while his helmet hid away the rest of his expression.
His slender hands fell to his side and remained loose before he gradually lifted his left hand and reached towards it, his fingers halted a few millimetres from the bowl before they retracted. His hand pulled back into a fist and he returned it to his side as if scared to touch it. "Thee did acquire this in the previous venture?" he asked in a low – almost disbelieving – whisper. Da Vinci stared at him with a curious expression before she nodded her head in affirmation.
"We did." She replied "We got it from one of the Servants, who said they got it from another Servant."
"...I see." Gwyndolin murmured to himself "...And what doth thee wanteth with it?" he asked, still staring down at the Golden Basin.
"For starters, I'd like to see what we can do to use it." She replied, crossing her arms "From what we know. Its similar enough to a Holy Grail in that isn't designed to store Magical Energy-"
"Souls."
"Hm?" Da Vinci turned to Gwyndolin as he whispered something out, she frowned and blinked "What did you say?"
"Souls." He repeated, turning his head to fix his attention up her "T wast did create to holdeth the Souls of Lords." he quietly revealed, looking back at it "The Lord vessel. The lasteth work of Trahaearn bef're his death. And did present to those who is't wouldst link the fire." he looked down "Until it was shattered."
"Hold the Souls of Lords." Da Vinci hummed to herself "...It was made to hold the souls of Gods then." she realised, staring down at the desk "That is…probably much stronger than your average Holy Grail."
Gwyndolin gave an empty huff "It did grant the ability to moveth between bonfires instantly." he explained further before looking away from the Lord Vessel "...This was granted to Princess Gwynevere until she departed to far off lands. Whereupon it was granted to me until I bestowed it upon another."
Da Vinci stared at him, "So…this Trahaeran was the original owner?"
"The God of Smiths made it at the behest of Lord Gwyn." Gwyndolin curtly replied "He is the owner. All others merely carried out his original will in regards to the purpose of the Lord Vessel."
"Hmph." Da Vinci let out another hum "So…teleportation you say?" she mused, staring at it "I wonder…" then looked at him "How much would it bother you if we used this for Chaldea?"
Gwyndolin stared at her, then back at the Lord Vessel "...T wast already broken once. Yond is shame enow to disgrace the one who is't did hold it. Allowing m'rtals to useth it cannot shame such a being furth'r." he turned away from her, waving his hand "Do with it what you will…"
"Thanks." Da Vinci gave him a half-smile "We'll try and put it to good use."
Gwyndolin remained silent as he exited the room, disappearing into the hallways and leaving Da Vinci to her own devices. The woman watched the door close behind the God before she turned her head back to the Lord Vessel and allowed a smile to grace her features. This was already sounding like quite the find and discovering that they would basically be granted free reign with it without concern was certainly welcome news.
She had a plethora of idea's and unfortunately she was by herself, but she had no doubts she'd be able to come up with something spectacular.
Gwyndolin silently stalked through the halls.
Seeing the Lord Vessel again had certainly dragged up some very, very, very old memories for him. Quite who was carrying it was a mystery to him but it didn't matter either way. The Lord Vessel was evidently made whole again through some unknown means.
That had been the first black mark to his name. Allowing the Lord Vessel to be shattered and robbing them of the certainty of linking the Fire was something which had almost ruined him at the time. A failure he knew would haunt him.
And yet it was back. All he really needed to do was keep it safe and away from the prying hands of mortals and he could redeem his previous failure.
As if that would have changed anything. The Lord Vessel had still been broken. Whatever he did with this serendipitous arrival of the restored version did not wash away his previous disgrace. The duty he had picked up when Gwynevere had abandoned their family and all they stood for was something he prided himself in. With no one left, he would continue Lord Gwyn's desire for as long as he could.
And he'd failed. It was only by mere chance that the Flame had been linked and that he had been able to restore the presence of the Gods. Mere chance had saved them from his blunder. He knew in his heart that any one of the others would not have allowed the situation to transpire so far to begin with. That was the truth of the situation.
He had failed everything.
The Lord Vessel had been shattered and it had disgraced him. Allowing mortals to use it for their own agenda would bring no further shame to him at this point. He was already an embarrassment enough to the Royal Family, he couldn't do any further damage.
He paused in the hallway, his lips parting and releasing a somewhat shaky breath. Reaching his hand up, his fingers lightly touched upon his cheek before coming away. He stared down at the clear liquid on the tip of his finger with disgust.
"A Prince does not cry."
Lord Gwyn's words to his older brother still rung true in his head. A prince does not cry. He was a Prince and he would not cry. Even though the words were not directed towards him, he still took them to heart.
Breathing deeply, Gwyndolin continued on through the hallways. He would likely return to his chambers…
…
He paused once again. Turning around, he headed in the opposite direction towards his room and further into Chaldea. If he recalled the tour correctly, then the Cafeteria would be through this hallway and then a single floor upwards. He could just teleport there but it was a rare thing for him to move around for so long.
If only because he disliked seeing the way his snake legs behaved, and as if sensing his tumultuous emotions, they peered up at him and tilted their heads. Gwyndolin refused to look at them. They represented a curse to his form and nothing more.
The pillar of light flashed as a figure emerged on the panel, Ritsuka's welcoming smile remained even as he took note of the familiar purple hair and tall figure. He tilted his head in wonder, he was more worried about whether or not they would remember him.
Mash stood to his left, slightly shifty as the figure stepped down from the summoning chamber and towards them, looking down at the smaller boy and smaller girl before her lips pursed. Ritsuka felt as though he had an understanding of the type of person they were already. Probably a little quiet and reserved.
They had a pretty similar feeling to Gwyndolin in the instances where he had been with them. Although that might also be because he already knew who this was or at the very least suspected.
"Summoning me means you have a strange preference." The woman spoke in a slightly hushed tone with a hint of surprise to it before it tapered out into a more composed voice "If it is a sacrifice you require, then you may treat me as you wish."
Ritsuka blinked at her once "...Alright then." he coughed into his hand, looking at Mash and earning a shrug in response before he turned back to her and looked into the blindfold directly. Something which seemed to catch the taller woman off guard by the fact she could sense he was at the very least attempting to look her in the eye.
She chalked that down to him being ignorant as to her identity, she imagined it would change the moment she revealed who she-
"Sorry if this comes off as a little rude…" He spoke in a slightly unsure tone as he stared at her "But you're Medusa…right?"
"...I am." She nodded her head, tilting it at him "You…already know who I am?"
"Met another version of you…" He replied with a casual smile, then winced slightly. She could ascertain that it hadn't been a pleasant meeting. Although that made his attempt to be cordial with her all the more puzzling. "Also you look a bit like your sisters-"
She took in a sharp intake of breath, her form going stock still "My sis-" she then looked around "A-are they here?" she asked, Ritsuka watched her reaction oddly for a few moments before he shook his head.
"No…not yet." He spoke slowly, watching as she seemed to deflate at the news "But we met them…So the version of you we met was a Lancer."
"Hmmm." She hummed at that, trying to take her mind off the fact she might meet her sisters again - for which she was very tense about doing, however much she did truly love them they were overbearing - right off the bat would have been a rather surprising first encounter for a summoning. "I am a Rider." she informed the pair, earning a nod of understanding from the duo.
"Alright…" Ritsuka clapped his hand "So…the tou-"
"You summoned another Servant?" A third voice called out from the far end of the room, Medusa's head snapped towards them as her eyes narrowed from behind her visor. There was already something that smelt odd about that Servant. He might have looked alive but she could already sense something off about him. The way his green eyes stared at her with a slight hint of recognition told her he might also have encountered her before "The relative of Basilisk's?"
…That was just insulting.
"Ash-san!" Mash hissed at him in shock and surprise "That's rude!"
"Hm?" Ash's eyes darted to Mash before they looked back at Medusa and narrowed inquisitively "...You have an aura of Divinity about you." he spoke in a slightly suspicious tone "It's faint but it's present."
"That's no real surprise." A fourth voice echoed out above them, everyone's head darted towards the other end of the room. Romani sat in a chair behind the glass, the man waving his hand at them "With Medusa being the youngest of the Gorgon sisters, she would have been a Goddess alongside her two sisters before the…um…" the man trailed off, widening his eyes and looking away "...Yeah." he popped his lips, suddenly finding his desk interesting.
"Before I became a monster." The Rider in question spoke in an almost dismissive tone "There is no reason to skirt around the issue. I am a monster." then turned to Ash "I assume you have also met me in a previous summoning, judging by your recognition?"
"I killed you." Ash offered as a way of an explanation. "After you attempted to petrify me."
"I see." Medusa curtly replied, the room falling into an awkward silence before Ritsuka decided to speak up.
"...So how about that tour?" He looked around the room with a forced smile, trying to alleviate some of the tension in the room. "Do you want to join us, Ash?"
"There's no need to involve me." Ash raised his hand "I am already aware of the layout of the building. I am planning on returning to my room."
"And doing what?"
"Nothing."
"...Really?" Ritsuka squinted his eyes at him "Nothing?"
"Nothing." Ash shrugged "...Unless you have a need for me?"
"Ash-san." Mash stepped forwards "Why don't you stop by the Simulator? You can always get some practice in!" she offered with a smile, the Saber stared at her for a few moments before he slowly nodded his head.
"That is certainly a possible activity." He nodded his head in thought "I have been healing and would like to see how far I am along." he humed "Very well. I will stop by the Simulator."
"Have fun!" Ritsuka waved to him, Ash's brows furrowed in slight confusion.
"It's training to ensure I do not die…How is it fun?"
"...I…er…I don't know the answer to that…" Ritsuka quietly admitted, looking down at the ground with a pensive frown. Ash gave another noise before he turned away and started to walk down the hallways. Medusa watched him leave before she returned her attention to the two in front of her.
"...How many other Servants are present?" She found herself asking, she was also tempted to ask how many had also fought her but the Saber didn't seem to hold much of a grudge. However, she couldn't tell much from him at all.
"A little over a dozen." Ritsuka frowned, then looked to Mash for support. The girl held a thoughtful expression for a moment before she turned to Ritsuka and nodded.
"Eighteen, Senpai." She revealed, Ritsuka gave a small noise of understanding then looked back at Medusa. "Nineteen if we include Da Vinci."
"There we are." He smiled, "We've got a few."
"I see." She nodded in response. She could understand why there were so many to begin with, the Throne had provided her with at least some detail as to their current situation.
"One more thing…" Ritsuka raised his hand, giving Medusa a subdued look "How much do you know about other worlds?"
Even with a visor covering her eyes, it didn't take an expert to see that Medusa was thoroughly confused by his words.
He could tell they were surprised by his presence here. He didn't even know why he'd come in the first place. He liked avoiding people so coming to the one place where they all gathered en masse was just asking for trouble on his part. Or asking for him to be bothered by someone who didn't know how to keep their mouth shut.
Fortunately for him, it didn't look like the pink haired one was present in the Cafeteria today. That would at least grant him some peace. His head scanned the room, taking note of those within it. The archer in green armour and the witch were speaking together on the same table. The blue haired Demi-God was also sat near the side granting him a view into the Kitchen while sat next to…
…
The Blacksmith.
Neither of them had spoken and there was not a need to. Gwyndolin was under no illusions as to what lineage the man belonged to, especially considering his rather prominent features and their strong resemblance to another…it was best to simply avoid it entirely.
There were also a few mortals scattered about, although they avoided him entirely and that was something he was more than pleased with. Although the manner in which some of the sorcerers thought of 'Servants' like himself as little more than familiars was something that he found to be…rather insulting. He might have spent much of his time alone thus far but that didn't make him ignorant as to the opinions of the mages here.
His head turned down to stare down at his table in front of him.
What was he even doing here? Was he here just because he didn't want to return to his room?
He exhaled slowly, he didn't even know why he was here to begin with. What did the life of humans matter to him? This was not even his world and these humans were not even under the blessing of Gwyn.
He knew - of course - deep down why he was actually in Chaldea. Not because he cared about people or because their pleas mattered to him in the least. Not even because of his previous role as Knight Captain of the Darkmoons.
He just…wanted someone to-
He abruptly jolted upright, frowning and looking over the edge of his table down towards his legs. His deformity had started to protrude out from underneath his gown, the individual heads were slowly slithering forwards and rising up. He frowned down at them, usually they did not act so brazenly when he did not wish it. His could exert his will over them often enough, but they still held some semblance of intellect to them.
What concerned him was why they were all staring in the same direction. He shifted his head to follow their eyes, finding himself staring at the door to the Cafeteria. It was still closed, but he could sense a Servant approaching. There was something about them that felt…odd to him. Some familiarity perhaps? But they did not feel like a full blown God. Perhaps one of the Lesser Lordkin?
"He usually just walks around." Ritsuka explained to Medusa as they continued their tour through Chaldea, his expression still in a casual smile as he looked back "Although I didn't know that Fou had taken to riding his back…" he mused with a shake of his head and a curious expression directed towards Mash.
The girl frowned in response before tilting her head in a thoughtful manner "Perhaps it is because they are both animals?" she offered a way of an explanation. Ritsuka blinked twice before he let out a small noise of understanding.
"Huh. That might make sense." He murmured "Do you think Fou was feeling lonely so that's why he's friends with Sif?"
"I hope so." Mash smiled "I think it's very sweet, Senpai. I think Fou-san could do with a friend who can actually understand him."
Medusa frowned at the thought "Can they understand each other?" she asked out loud, looking at the duo.
"I honestly have no idea, but I think it's best we just assume they can." Ritsuka shrugged. "I do wonder what they might talk about though."
"They'd be too cold."
"I suppose that explains the strange smell I got from her." Sif rumbled in response, pacing through the hall with Fou sitting on his back, the entire image was nothing shy of comical and yet the conversation between the two furred animals was ironically heated. Unlike the individual they were discussing. "But don't snakes heat up from their surroundings?"
"I don't know…probably?" Fou grunted "But until they did, you'd have cold hands running through your fur. It would be very nice on a hot day but…well…"
"We don't get hot days out here." Sif sighed "This place reminds me of my home. Well…the outside does before Artorias found me."
"Cold and lifeless?"
"...Yes." Sif admitted with a sigh "Greatwolves come from the cold north but we get pretty big when full grown."
"Must be nice." Fou hummed "Then again, you no longer get puppy privileges do you?"
"Very amusing." Sif drawled "Aside from that…What do you think resting on her legs would be like?"
"Ohhh…Tough question." Fou let out a small noise of thought "If we're still assuming that snakes need to heat up, I'd recommend going to her late in the day when she's had a chance to warm up. But once she did…I'd say it would be very nice."
"Most assuredly." Sif nodded his head in agreement "But what if she had awful technique?"
"That sounds like something too terrible to comprehend." Fou shivered "...I think our original owners have influenced us too much."
"...Most definitely."
"...What about resting on her breasts?"
"I wouldn't even care if they're cold."
"Arguably that makes them better. I personally don't like sleeping on warm pillows."
"Me neither." Sif shook his head "You have to find one that's just a little chilled and then wait for it to warm up."
"Exactly."
"Probably something amusing, Senpai." Mash giggled, then looked back up at Medusa "Anyway!" she changed the subject "Our next stop is the Cafeteria! It's where all the Servants typically go for food."
Medusa frowned "Food? We can sustain ourselves with magical energy. There is no need for us to participate in the consumption of food."
Ritsuka shrugged "We've got a big cafeteria and it would probably feel way too empty if barely anyone ate there so…we just invited the Servants to dine with us if they wanted to." he smiled at her "You don't have to, but sometimes they also use it for socialising." He explained further, "In case you want to talk with anyone."
Medusa stared at him in silence "...I do not think that will be an issue for me." she replied in a quiet tone which indicated that socialisng probably wasn't going to be on her list of activities.
"-ust mad that I beat you!" She paused as she heart a rather feminine voice which echoed through the halls, "Look, if it bothers you that much-"
"It is not a question of whether it bothers me." A deeper reverberating voice followed after it, Medusa tilted her head. There was something off about the voice, although it was probably nothing important. "I lost the match, so therefore I will eat without my helmet on."
"Verndari…" The voice spoke in a slightly guilty tone "You don't have to."
"It would be against my vows if I were to back out of an agreement between Knights." The duo rounded the corner, revealing the two other Servants. A larger individual clad in shiny steel armour with a three faced helmet and a crown of thorns and a smaller blonde haired girl in a brown tunic and a dark green undershirt with black sleeves. The larger knight pointed down at the girl "Listen…You bested me fair and square and as per our agreement, I will…" they paused "...Eat without my helmet."
The small girl fidgeted on the spot before her eyes lit up, staring up at the taller knight and giving a faint smile "...What about best two out of three? I feel as though we can't decide on something as important as this in a single match." she hummed "Or three out of five?"
The larger Knight stared down at them for a few moments before their posture visibly relaxed "Best three out of five…" they gave a pleased chuckle "I…suppose that is certainly agreeable and it is your right as victor."
"Hm,hm,hm!" The girl crossed her arms and beamed, then turned ahead only to find themselves under the watchful eyes of three individuals. "Ah! Master! Mash and…" her eyes fell onto Medusa "And new person!"
"My Liege." Medusa blinked at the rather reverent tone the knight took on, sending another look at Ritsuka and finding them looking slightly bothered by it but more resigned "Squire Kyrielight." she turned back to see the Knight staring down at her "Is this our newest arrival?"
"Yes!" Ritsuka clapped his hands, pointing towards the two "This is Sir Venrdari." he pointed at the taller knight, who bowed his head slightly "And this is Sir Gareth."
"Milady." Gareth gave a similar bow, then blinked as Medusa seemed to focus on them with a slight intensity. "Is something wrong?"
"...History, or so it seems."
"Ah…hehehe." Gareth gave a small giggle "That'll be those records of me being a man." she waved her hand "It's happened all the time. I only recently found out my King was actually a woman!" she exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips "Then only just the other day, Vernda-"
"Ahem." Verndari cleared his throat loudly, halting Gareth in her tracks.
"Ehhhh…nothing." She corrected herself "Anyway, so who are you?"
"...Medusa."
Gareth maintained her smiling visage for a few more moments before she blinked. Twice. "Medusa…" she said in a slow tone.
"Yes."
"Right…" The Knight frowned and nodded her head before she looked back at the Rider "W-well! If you're here to help then I look forward to working with you!" she exclaimed, the silver knight was still staring at her.
Verndari stared at her for a few more moments, then looked at Ritsuka "Is this the same Medusa who was regarded as a petrifying Monster?"
"I am." Medusa nodded her head, "Is there perhaps…an issue?"
He stared at her for a few moments longer, then looked down at Ritsuka. The boy shook his head at the Knight, earning a low breath "...It seems there is not." he spoke in a quiet tone "So long as you keep your Master alive and fulfill his orders…we shall have no issues." he offered.
That was more in line with the response she was expecting. Gareth winced and lightly slapped Verndari in the side before nodding further down the hallway. "Well, it was nice meeting you! We've got to get to the Simulator now."
"Ash-san is currently using it." Mash explained, "Although I don't think he would say no to others."
"Alright then." Gareth nodded, then pointed down the hallway "To the Simulator!" she cried out before marching down the hall with a certain vigor propelling her forwards. Verndari stared at Medusa for a few moments longer in silence before he turned away and marched after Gareth.
"...Where did Verndari hear about Medusa anyway?" Ritsuka whispered to Mash, the Shielder leaned back to reply.
"Da Vinci said that some of the other Servants reported getting updated on the legends from each world. She thinks that having the other worldly Grail here sped up the process of updating the information on the Throne to account for the other world." She shrugged "It's been slow and some areas are still missing but they understand some of it now." she frowned "Although getting information on Ash-san's legend still brings up a blank."
"Hmm." Ritsuka hummed in response, then shrugged and turned back to Medusa "Sorry about that." he apologised "Some of the other Servants are still a little iffy on the-"
"You need not apologise for his behaviour." She interrupted him before he could continue. "It is not that great a bother to me."
"Still…" Ritsuka gave a saddened frown "...Well. If it doesn't bother you that's fine but don't hesitate to speak up if they take it too far." he sighed "We've had enough of that around here as is as of late." he muttered under his breath, Medusa sent him a curious expression behind her visor before they continued on their way towards the Cafeteria.
The moment the door opened, she could sense something was different.
She was being watched.
And there was the familiar scent and feel of Divinity. Not like that of a Demi-God, this was pure. Her head instantly snapped towards the source. Even without the use of her eyes, she could feel them staring at her and she stared back. The two engaged in an almost blind contest as their headgear obscured both sets of eyes from the other person.
That didn't take away from the silent staring contest between the two, Medusa wasn't actually hearing whatever Ritsuka was speaking of at the time as she stared at the being across the room. Then took note of the dozen snakes which had emerged from beneath their dress. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes behind her visor. They were a Goddess but she didn't recognise anything about them - save for the snakes - but that didn't make her any less suspicious about them.
She did not have something which could be considered a positive relationship with Divines - save her sisters - and Athena could be thanked for that. Whoever this new Goddess was…she was already dubious about them already.
"-usa-san?" She started, looking to her side and noticing the two staring up at her in concern "Is something wrong?" Mash asked, then turned her head towards the direction she had been looking at before her eyes widened. "Gwyndolin-san is here?"
"He's what?" Ritsuka blinked in surprise "Huh?" he then turned towards the God in question "Didn't think he'd be here…He's also looking at us."
Medusa picked up on one specific part of the sentence "He?" she spoke with a puzzled tone, staring at the two and then back at the God. Her lips thinned, that would explain why he was now looking at her. She was aware of the effect she had on Divine Spirits in this form; it was close enough to how she was when she caught Poseidon's attention.
"You have…Divine Spirits here?" She asked out in curiosity, Ritsuka nodded his head.
"It's just him right now…unless you also count." He frowned "Then there's Havel to consider. He's not human either, is he?"
"No, Senpai." Mash shook her head "He is part of the 'Lordkin' I believe. So he would fall into the category of Divine Spirit." she explained, earning a small nod from both Ritsuka and Medusa. The latter raised her head to look back at Gwyndolin - who was still staring at her with all of his snake heads - before her lips thinned.
"Why is he staring at me?"
"Gwyndolin?" Ritsuka shrugged "...He also spoke with your sisters…" he revealed with an awkward chuckle, Medusa stared down at him with her lips slightly parted.
"He…spoke with my sisters?" She asked with a quiet voice, then looked back towards him "Does he…know who I-"
"I don't know." Ritsuka shrugged "...Wanna go and speak with him?"
"...No." She shook her head "That will not be necessary you had other places to-"
"So kid, I heard about the-" She looked towards the voice, Cu Chulainn stared back at her with a blank expression. Then she watched as another head peered at her from the window to the Kitchen. The familiar face of Archer stared at her with an equally blank look before it gradually retreated back into the kitchen. "...So…" Cu whistled "...You're here."
"So are you."
"Cool." Cu coughed, then looked at Ritsuka before looking back at Medusa before he cracked a faint grin "So kid…what do you think?"
Ritsuka blinked at him "What do I think?"
"About her?" He pointed at Medusa "Suppose you understand how she turned hundreds of men hard." his lip quirked into a smile as he struggled to not laugh, Medusa gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look while Ritsuka burst into a coughing fit induced by strangled laughter. Mash blushed furiously and tried to decide between chastising Cu for his crude humour or asking someone why that particular comment made her feel horribly embarrassed.
He stared at her from across the room, she was engaged in conversation with the others but he couldn't shake the sense of familiarity she had with others he had previously spoken with. That shade of purple hair and that tingling of Divinity meant she was at least affiliated with the Lords however it was…faint.
It was odd.
If her Divine presence was stronger, he would have thought she was related to Stheno and Euryale. There was also the manner in which his legs were staring at her as if they were encapsulated by her form. It was strange. Perhaps a distant relative however he recalled what Euryale said of her sister. Although he still failed to understand how that could be classed as a deformity. It was hardly in line with his own features.
He supposed he could just inquire her about it.
It also occurred to him he had been staring for an uncomfortable length of time. His head swiftly darted back to the table, his hand clasping together and resting on the table. For a few moments he remained silent, hoping that he had avoided being intrusive.
Medusa wondered if the God was aware that his snakes were still staring at her. There was something oddly poetic about her attracting the attention of snakes. She was more curious as to what led to a God growing snakes for legs. Perhaps they had also been cursed as well. Although they had apparently spoken with her sisters.
She pursed her lips before looking down at Ritsuka "What…relation did he have with my Sisters?"
"Well…He and Stheno were stranded on an island." Ritsuka replied, crossing his arms and humming "I think they were on good terms, considering he seemed to rush at the opportunity to speak with Euryale…who they spoke with at length." he winced "He also knows Artemis although he's a little embarrassed by her…"
Medusa tilted her head "Why?"
"Well…that's sort of because-"
"She lax in her duties as a Goddess." Ritsuka jolted at the sudden proximity of Gwyndolin's voice, he and Medusa "...She's also…" he trailed off, staring down at nothing for a few moments before his head slowly turned towards Medusa.
Medusa stared back at him. She hadn't been so close to another Divine Spirit for some time and hadn't really had much of an interest in one aside from her sisters.
"Thou art…" Gwyndolin's delicate lips struggled to form the words as his covered head turned to Medusa and stared up at her "...Thou art the young'r sist'r of ladies Euryale and Stheno, art thee not?"
Medusa silently nodded her head.
Gwyndolin slowly nodded his head "...I see." he hummed in response "Thy sisters spoke of thee." he informed her, then turned away and moved for the door " I desire thou art reunit'd with thy sist'rs." he paused as he observed her reaction for a few moments before he spoke up again "I und'rstand they art also strongly opinionat'd. Lady Stheno did enjoy making jokes at mine own expense."
Medusa slowly nodded her head "They are…" she trailed off, closing her mouth and very much unwilling to discuss the topic further. Who knows if they would hear about it if they were summoned. "...My sisters." She decided to finish.
Gwyndolin stared at her for a few moments. "...Yes. They are." he quietly replied, turning away from her and moving out of the room only to stop when Da Vinci suddenly burst in.
"Hey Gwyndolin!" She hurriedly greeted as she marched past him "Sorry, I'm late Fujimaru!" she apologised "I'm ready to sit in on the summon-" she cut herself off when she noticed Medusa standing next to the duo. Her expression slowly shifted into a slight pout. "I missed it?"
"Yeah…" Rituska winced "Romani said you were busy in your workshop and I didn't want to interrupt you-"
"No…that's fine." She smiled "We'll just head back and do another one."
Ritsuka blinked "We will?"
"Yep!" Da Vinci beamed "I'm certain my being there will attract the attention of another Caster we can work with." she sent an apologetic smile to Medusa "No offense miss…"
"Medusa."
"Ah! Another of the Gorgon trio!" Da Vinci exclaimed loudly "I suppose you've met them all now, Fujimaru. Nice to meet you by the way." the Genius struck a pose and flicked her hair behind herself "I'm Leonardo Da Vinci, all round genius and grand beauty of Chaldea."
Medusa stared at her in complete silence, unsure of how to respond to the rather explosive introduction. She felt a tap on her arm and turned to see Rituska staring up at her with a sympathetic expression.
"If it makes you feel better, I don't think I've gotten used to it either." He spoke in a tone which the Rider supposed was meant to be reassuring but it wasn't all that comforting. He shifted his attention back to the Caster "Anyway…The Director told me to take it easy and limit myself to a single summoning so-"
"Up, up, up!" Da Vinci waved her hand "Why do limits exist if not to be broken?" she gave a self-confident smile "Now hurry up to the summoning chamber!"
"But the tour-"
"Gwyndolin can do it!" Da Vinci waved her hand, turning to the Moon God "Can't you?"
The God in question jolted at suddenly being volunteered "I beg thy-"
"Come on, Fujimaru!" Da Vinci turned away and marched towards the door "I want to meet another otherworldly Heroic Spirit…also we're lacking in women around here, again no offense Medusa." the woman's voice quietened down as she marched through the halls with purpose.
"U-uhmmm." Ritsuka looked wide eyed between Medusa, both of whom stared at eachother and then back at him. "G-good luck? Er…"
"Hurry up!" Da Vinci's voice echoed out through the hallway "I've got a good feeling about this one!"
"There aren't too many spots left." Ritsuka explained to Gwyndolin "Do you…have a problem with showing her around the remainder of Chaldea?"
Gwyndolin stared at him in silence before he replied "I…have no issues." he spoke slowly, looking up at Medusa "Is there an issue?"
"...No." Medusa replied after a few moments.
"Alright, great." Ritsuka clapped his hands, then nodded to Mash "Come on. We'll follow after her before she tries to summon anyone herself."
Mash nodded her head and then followed after him as he quickly chased the Caster servant moving through the halls.
Gwyndolin and Medusa watched them leave before the pair slowly turned back to face eachother. The two masked people stared at eachother in silence before Gwyndolin spoke up "Have they brought you the library yet?"
"No." Medusa shook her head, then stared at the God with a hint of curiosity "What happened to your voice?"
Gwyndolin's lips thinned "...It is something I use for the mortals."
"Oh? So I am an honoured exception then?" She mused with a slightly curled lip, the God's lip twitched.
"Would you like for me to put the voice on again?" He asked with a hint of amusement, Medusa shrugged.
"You can do as you wish…" She paused for a few moments "How…were my sisters?"
"They were…pleasant enough company." He replied "Despite her comments upon my disfigurement." Gwyndolin's head pointedly looked down at his snake legs before it returned to stare up at Medusa "She was welcome company."
Medusa stared at him "...Really?"
"...Of a sort." He shrugged, "Have you seen the Library?"
"A library?" Medusa hummed, that sounded mildly intriguing to her. Usually such places were quiet and out of the way. Something which she felt would apply to her. "I have not. Where is it?"
Gwyndolin gestured behind him "Come…I will show you." He felt mildly good about this. There was something about Medusa that seemed more reserved than her sisters. The outgoing personalities of Stheno and Euryale had virtually dragged him into conversation. Not that it bothered him too greatly but he just wasn't accustomed to conversation with those outside of his own family.
Except for…Sulyvahn but the ending for that was…
The pair quietly left the room. One personal issue Gwyndolin had was that his snake legs were still staring at her.
Medusa herself wasn't sure how to respond to snake heads staring up at her with what could only be described as 'puppy dog eyes'. It also brought about a certain degree of shame for her past but that was something she'd rather not recall.
"Come on…" Da Vinci whined "Hurry up Fujimaru…I've got a Holy Grail I need to experiment on."
Ritsuka gave her a puzzled look for a few seconds "Is that the Grail we got from the last Singularity?"
"Yep." Da Vinci nodded her head "Turns out it used to belong to the Chief God of the otherworld Pantheon. So it's actually very, very powerful." she gave a thumbs up "I have no end of ideas."
"Huh…" Ritsuka blinked, then gave her a reassuring smile "Good luck."
"Hahahaha!" Throwing her head back and releasing a boisterous laugh, Da Vinci remained like that for a few moments before she stared at the Master. "Geniuses don't need luck because it implies that our skill won't see us through…but I am very thankful for your words anyway."
"Alright then…" Rituska stared at Mash and gave her a small shrug before he moved to the summoning panel.
"Hey…are we doing another summoning?" Romani's voice came through the monitor, the man swinging his chair around to sit himself down in it before sliding forwards towards the desk "I thought we already did this?"
"We did." Ritsuka called back "But Da Vinci was sad she missed it and wanted to be involved."
"So she dragged you back?" Romani sighed "The Director did ask that you limit yourself-wait a minute, did she give you the whole 'Limits are made to be broken' speech?"
"Yeah…has she done that before?"
"Normally whenever she brings up a project which tests the limits of what we actually allow for the research and development department." The man sighed "I suppose we'll have to make a report to the Director about it anyway. Your tests are already looking good so I suppose if you want we can try a summoning."
"Alright then." Ritsuka shrugged, moving to the panel and started chanting. Once he had finished, the panel activated, shooting a pillar of light upwards into the ceiling before it slowly dissipated.
A figure stood in the chamber, standing around the same height as Da Vinci.
Ritsuka stared at the dark blue robe and the stone mask on their face carved in the face of a bearded man. The issue was also that the figure was dripping wet, water continuously leaking from the eye holes of the mask like tears and somehow moving to drench the entire person. It was somewhat puzzling.
The head stared at Ritsuka and then to Mash before finally Da Vinci.
"Servant, Caster." The voice spoke in a deeply muffled tone which made it difficult to discern gender "I am…wow." they jolted in surprise "It is really difficult to understand me in this thing, isn't it?" they released an amused chuckle before they reached up and clasped their mask and slowly removed it from their head before revealing it.
Shaking their hair free, they slot the mask under their left arm. Their right arm moved up and swept their hair out of their face, unveiling it in full. Soft features and a strangely familiar smile greeted him. Their light brown fluffy hair fell behind their head and down their neck as they stared at the three in front of them.
"I suppose I should introduce myself again." The woman grinned an eerily familiar smile "I am Pharros, travelling Vagabond and all around master inventor." she paused for a few moments then beamed "Ah…I suppose you could call me a universal genius?"
"...Oh…" Romani muttered through the microphone, Ritsuka and Mash slowly turned their heads towards Da Vinci. The woman stood stock still with a blank expression on her face as she stared at the Caster in front of her.
Pharros turned and stared at the genius with a slightly raised eyebrow "Huh. You…" she pointed at Da Vinci "I don't know…I like you." she decided with a nod "There's just something about you."
Da Vinci remained silent before her face spread into a matching smile before her eyes fell on the mask "So…what does that do?"
"This?" Pharros raised the mask "It coats me in water and renders me immune to fire." she explained "It does get me a little wet and you know…electricity is a problem but the water does also stop me getting poisoned so that's alright too."
"Huh." Da Vinci hummed "Very nice…a few kinks but I think they could be worked out very well. You know, I'm something of an inventor myself."
"Really?" Pharros gave a catlike smirk "How do you feel about…competitions?"
Da Vinci's eyes seemed to glow "Ooooh~?" she gave a very pleased noise "I suppose that would depend upon my competitor."
"She is very interested in competitions." Pharros chuckled, rocking on her heels before leaning forwards "When would you be interested in starting?"
"Oh…" Da Vinci pretended to look at her watch "How about…right now?"
"Right now is fine!"
Ritsuka stared at Mash and then looked at Romani through the window, the man was leaning back in his chair with wide eyes as he stared at what was occurring in front of him. "Oh no…there's two of them…" he whispered out in shock.
It was a shock Ritsuka could share. She didn't look like Da Vinci, but she certainly seemed to act a bit like her.
He only hoped this 'competition' wouldn't get out of hand.
Pharros, The Vagabond
Servant: Caster
Strength: D
Endurance: D
Agility: D
Mana: B+
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: EX
'Inventor of Everything and more': EX (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 1, Max Range: -
Their skill which accredits them with deeds not their own. Pharros was indeed a talented inventor perhaps too good for their own good. Especially effective against Inventors. It is a NP which allows her to understand complex creations and constructs and understand their weaknesses and strengths. Perhaps even the ability to create versions with her own personal twist.
Class Skills:
Item Construction: EX (A)
Their talent was so great that many inventions are falsely credited to them.
It takes nothing away from their achievement, however. They can craft a great manner of contraptions. All of which are more bizarre than the last.
Territory Creation: D
They were a Vagabond, therefore their skill is low.
Personal Skills:
Inherent Wisdom: A+
Lockstone Construction: A
The creation of traps and constructs which aided many in the lands.
Ideas from others: B+++
Because their renown was so great, they were falsely credited with the creation of items they did not construct.
However, the knowledge of these idea's remains. In conjunction with their NP, it is a powerful skill.
She is actually quite guilty about having this skill, but she's determined to make the idea's her own.
Summoning
"I'm a Caster class Servant. The all around Genius vagabond inventor Pharros! If you need amazing gizmos, I'm your gal…Eh? You…already have a genius inventor? Oh…well…um…Well, you can never have enough genius!"
Dialogue 1
"They say a lot of stuff like Master and Servant and all that…on that note, would you like to help me with my latest invention? I think it has some very promising results-No? Oh. Well, what about next time?"
Dialogue 2
"Huh? Why was I known as a man? It was the mask. I normally wore that all the time and that stuffy cloak was really unflattering for my body so…you know. They just thought I was a man and I just didn't make an effort to correct them. Pretty awkward now though, right?"
Dialogue 3
"So…Do you want to help now? No…phooey."
Dialogue 4 (If you have Da Vinci)
"She's another genius eh? Well…I'm always one for competitions though! Do you want to help us with another…hey! Where are you going! Come back!"
Dialogue 5 (If you have Bearer of the Curse)
"Huh…she's actually pretty good at making stuff. I guess a little collaboration would be in order…but she's got this weirdly cool but pretty face. Like she sees right through you half the time."
Dialogue 6 (If you have Merlin)
"Hmmm…Nope. Not at all. Waaaaay too laid back. How does he just make stuff so good and be sooo…like that. It kind of bugs me…I'm gonna help Da Vinci boobytrap his room."
Dialogue 7 (If you have Thomas Edison)
"H-hey…what's this 'King of Inventions' title I'm hearing just now! I call foul! Foul I say! I'm way better than that guy! Da Vinci's also better than that guy!"
Dialogue 8 (If you Nikola Tesla)
"That's an impressive ability…you can control lightning huh…Nice. Would you like to help with some inventions-Huh? No! No! I'm not going to steal your ideas! I have loads of people giving me credit for stuff I didn't even do and I can't stand it…Anyway…want to help make an invention? Well…I guess it could be used to throw vegetables but why do you want to?"
Dialogue 9 (Avicebron)
"Hmmm…His Golems are very good but I feel as though I could improve them a little. Or make my own. I wonder if he'd be okay with that…I'll ask him!"
Likes
"Likes? I love inventing things. Do you want to help invent things? I'll even show you how to do some stuff."
Hates
"Hate…well…I'm not a fan of my Noble Phantasm if I'm honest. I spent years honing my skills and to just be able to copy someone else's at a glance just feels wrong. I'll do it if you really want me to but I'm not all that comfortable with it."
Wish for the Holy Grail
"A wish, huh? I wouldn't mind having one. Change my Noble Phantasm so that people know what I invented and what I didn't."
Bond Level 1
"Hmmm…You're a little funny. Like a small goofy kid. I like you."
Bond Level 2
"I've been thinking of some invention…would you like to help me with it? Don't worry, it's not that weird or dangerous."
Bond Level 3
"So I've been talking with Da Vinci about this latest invention…hey…where are you going!? Come back!"
Bond Level 4
"So…I like helping out and this place offers a lot of opportunities. So thanks for the summoning! I really do appreciate the chance you've given me."
Bond Level 5
"This has been a fun journey so far and I'm excited to continue on whatever happens. I might not be a great Inventor like Da Vinci or that weird lion headed guy but I'll always be there for weird handy gizmos if you need them. That is a Pharros patented promise!"
Birthday
"A birthday? You should have told me earlier! I'll have to rush to make you a birthday present! Wait right there and don't move a muscle!"
During an Event
"I'm sensing an opportunity…Let's go have some fun!"
1st Ascension
"Phwoo. Imagine wearing that stuff mask for much longer. Waaaay easier to breathe without it. Also it gets really old if I'm wet all the time and there's no fire around me."
2nd Ascension
"Can I get some better robes? Is that a thing we do around here? Because I feel a little boring just wearing a plain old robe."
3rd Ascension
"Ehhh…Still no new clothes? Phooey. I'm a little jealous of Da Vinci. You know she makes her own outfits? Hey…do you think Vlad or Medea can make one for me?"
4th Ascension
"This is much, much better! It really brings out my figure too! Hey! Don't look away now! Look at me! Heeeey. Look!."