By the Bonfire: Connections.
Arash gave Boudica a grateful smile as he picked up the plate, the Rider smiling back at him before she nodded down at the plate. "Sorry if I didn't get it right." she leaned over, placing her hands on the side to support herself "My first time trying to make something other than stew."
"Ah, it's fine." Arash waved off her concern "You didn't have to go this far for my request anyway."
"I know." Boudica replied with a shrug "But I suppose I felt like it, we've got a lot of recipe books here and I just thought it would be nice to try and branch out." chuckling, she gestured to the rest of the cafeteria "With so many different Servants here, I thought it might be best to try and bring out some of the different culinary cultures."
"I suppose that's a nice thought." Arash admitted as he stared down at the Tahchin on the plate "But I suppose this was a rather adventurous first try for you, wasn't it?"
"I wanted to be a little creative." Boudica smiled, then raised her hand to gesture behind her "That and I suppose Siegward inspired me to try something new." she paused for a few moments before she continued on "That said, I'm probably not going to do this that often."
"Ah, you shouldn't feel pressured to." Arash shook his head at her "I'm fine with the stew you usually make anyway." He raised his plate up "That said, it's nice to have some food from home every now and again."
"...I suppose it is." Boudica nodded her head, then looked over her shoulder towards Siegward as he made himself busy near one of the ovens. Her expression became unreadable as she continued to stare at the oblivious Saber, Arash followed her line of sight before he looked between the two of them for a few moments, eventually letting out a gentle sigh.
"Troubles you that he can't taste it, doesn't it?" He spoke in a quiet tone, earning a hum of affirmation from the Rider. The woman turned back to him with an uneasy frown on her face.
"Yeah." She admitted "I can tell it troubles him as well but I think he's just trying to accept it." sighing, she turned back to the Archer "All he can really taste is that glowing stuff but it doesn't really-"
"Have any taste to it." Arash nodded "I know…that said, I don't know if there's much we can do for him."
"I'm worried there's not much anyone can do for him." Boudica muttered back, shaking her head and wiping the distraught frown from her face. "That said, he'd probably try to tell me not to worry about him so much."
"He's more concerned with others than himself." Arash chuckled, backing away from the Rider "That's always the most difficult sort to try and do anything for."
"Tell me about it." Boudica groaned, shaking her head and waving her hand to shoo the Archer away "Now get to eating that and don't hesitate to tell me how I did. I've got more mouths to feed."
"Hahaha!" Letting out an honest laugh, Arash turned away from her while waving goodbye "I won't try to keep hungry mouths from their source of respite then!" Still smiling to himself, he moved away from the kitchen countertop and further into the cafeteria, scanning around the assembled seats until he found the specific spot he was looking for.
Turning his body in the direction of the individual, he marched onwards with great purpose towards the corner of the room, the seat situated near enough to the very back and close to one of the potted plants. It was practically hidden away from the rest of the occupants but his eye was sharper than most. Try as she might, she wasn't actually that good at hiding herself.
"I'm beginning to feel as though I'm less interesting than the plants." He called out as he was close enough, earning a squeak of surprise from the woman and she turned to the direction of the voice while dropping her spoon on the table. "Considering how often you prefer to sit with them than me."
Beatrice let out an embarrassed whimper at the man as she slumped, pulling her hat down and hiding away her face "Sorry…" she earnestly apologsied "Still not used to people all that much."
"Nothing to apologise for." Arash dismissed, gesturing down to the empty seat opposite her "May I?"
"H-huh?" She blinked, looking up at him before her eyes tracked to his desired location "O-oh! Yes." she nodded "You can."
"Thanks." He smiled at her, placing his meal on the table and taking a seat. He looked at her bowl of glowing liquid before giving an understanding nod "Estus Soup?"
"Mmmh." The girl nodded in response, sifting her spoon through the glowing foodstuff and raising it up to her mouth before swallowing it. "Only thing we undead can eat so…" she shrugged her shoulders "It's nice enough though." her eyes darted over to his plate inquisitively "Soooo…"
"Tahchin." Arash answered the unasked question, pointing towards the meal "Dish from my homeland. Rish dish. The concert with Liz back home made me feel a little nostalgic." At the mention of the concert, Beatrice's face scrunched up in clear discomfort, still reeling from the after effects of the singing. Arash let out an understanding chuckle "I know it wasn't exactly perfect but it just had me feeling homesick." he pointed his fork over to the kitchen "I just asked as a favour and they were more than happy."
"Hmmm." Beatrice nodded her head in response "...Don't really have a homeland that I know of." She admitted "I grew up in Lordran but I spent my time in the woods." letting out a nervous chuckle, she looked at Arash "We um…we didn't really get out to visit the others all that much."
"Shame." Arash sighed, forking off a portion of his meal and placing it in his mouth, chewing it before swallowing and giving a gentle smile "Yep…" he paused, noticing Beatrice looking at him before he stared at his food and then back at hers.
His eyes widened before looking away in guilt as he raised his free hand to hold his face "Ah…sorry." he apologised "It just slipped my mind with your situation. Here I am sitting here and stuffing my face with-"
"Oh, no!" Beatrice dropped her spoon and waved her hands at him "No, no! Don't apologise! It's nothing to feel guilty over, honestly!" she pulled her hands back "Really, it's fine. I don't mind it all that much." she nodded around her "I wouldn't actually come here if it bothered me…" she muttered out.
Arash sighed "Still…as long as you aren't forcing yourself." he replied to her "Just let me know, Servants don't really need to eat-"
"Neither do undead." Beatrice chuckled "It doesn't do much for us but…well…some continued because of routine."
"I suppose if you do something often enough it would just feel strange not to do it." Arash admitted with a sage nod as he took another bite of his meal "Still…" he looked around to the others in the cafeteria before coming back to the Caster "How come you're always by yourself?"
Beatrice froze "E-erm…" her eyes darted away from him for a few moments before she slumped down into her chair "I just…don't like to bother people is all…"
"Come on." Arash chuckled "They're good folks - for the most part - and I'm sure none of them would have a problem with you." he encouraged with a wide smile "It must get pretty boring having no one but me to talk to-"
"I'm fine with that." Beatrice hurriedly explained before she paused again, flushing slightly "I-it's just that…you know…I didn't really talk to that many people before." she let out a nervous giggle "A-actually it's taken me a while to muster up the courage to speak to you properly."
"Hm? Oh yeah." He realised with an encouraging laugh "You seem a lot more confident around me than when we first met." nodding at her, he then gestured to the rest of the room "I'm sure you can find some friends in no time."
"R-really?" Beatrice whispered out in a slightly unsure tone of voice "Because I don't think I have that much in common with them…" she frowned "I don't actually have all that much in common with you now that I think about i-"
"None of that now." Arash dismissed "If everyone had something in common with everyone else, the world would be a pretty boring place. No two people are ever really the same and that's good." looking around, he soon spied a target and pointed over in their direction "In fact, take them."
Slowly turning her head, Beatrice furrowed her brow when she saw one of the crossbreeds - Kiyohime - engaged in discussion with Siegward regarding something. Although she personally had no idea what it was that they could be discussing. Maybe food?
"Those two should have nothing in common and yet every time I see them, they're always engaged in conversations with each other." He chuckled merrily, bringing Beatrice's attention back to him "I'm not sure what it was that had them first meet, maybe cooking but they get along well enough with each other."
"Huh…" The witch gave a slightly awed noise before shaking her head "I…don't think I could be like that." she admitted after a few moments of thoughtful silence, eventually she shook her head "I don't think I'd want to be like that…"
"No?" Arash tilted his head, his brows furrowing slightly "Why not?" he asked in a more curious voice than accusatory, his tone holding no judgement within it.
"People…don't really trust witches." She replied after a few moments of silence "The incident with Havel is definitely more volatile than I ever had before-"
"And won't happen again." Arash assured her, earning a grateful smile from the woman.
"I know that…but most of the time it's just a feeling of being unwelcome." She shrugged, shrinking herself slightly. "I don't know how else to describe it, it's like…you being around them is wrong in some way." Beatrice shook her head "A-anyway…I just don't think I'd be able to function with big crowds of people before…" she released a mirthless laugh "Then again, I'm a witch who lives in the woods, wears rags and makes catalysts out of moss and twigs? Who'd want to associate themselves with me anyway…"
"I mean…I do." Arash pointed out "Master doesn't seem to mind either."
"That's not really the same." Beatrice muttered, giving the Archer a wide-eyed stare "N-not that I'm not grateful for something! B-but it's just that…with Ritsuka…he's like that with everyone…So I don't know if he's being kind to me because I'm me…or if he's being kind to me because that's just how he is."
"Kindness for the sake of kindness." Arash murmured under his breath, cupping his chin with his hand and giving a thoughtful hum "I suppose I can't answer that all that much. But I wouldn't say that the kindness you receive from him is less because he does the same to everyone, more that the kindness he shows you is proof that he does not think less of you than others."
Beatrice remained silent as he spoke, eventually returning to scoop out another mouthful of her estus dish. The pair fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to eat. When she was finished, Beatrice placed the spoon in the now empty bowl and stood up
"Thanks for keeping me company." She nodded to him once, then turned around and made her way back towards the counter. Arash watched her go with a troubled frown on his face before he directed his attention back towards the seat she had been occupying.
He leaned back against his chair and scratched his chin in thought, rolling his jaw he eventually gave a single determined nod. Clearing up his own dishes, he stood up with a new goal in mind. It might be a little invasive of him, but what was a Hero if not someone who stuck their nose where it didn't belong?
What Beatrice really needed was some genuine friends.
Although that just left the question of where he could actually find some for her.
"-as hidden from our initial scans but it's since shown up now." Arash could already hear Romani's voice as he approached the medical centre, the doctor clearly speaking with someone else as he only caught the tail-end of their conversation as the door opened up and the man and his guest stepped outside.
"What do you make of it?" Arash blinked in surprise at the rather unlikely duo, he paused as he watched Ash converse with Romani with an unusually apprehensive expression on his face.
Romani pursed his lips "At the moment? I don't know…it's only just shown up but from the looks of things it's constantly active." giving a shrug, he doctor crossed his arms in front of himself and shook his head "It would go a lot faster if we had help from-"
"As long as it is not detrimental to my state of being, it should not take preceden-" Ash cut himself off, directing his attention to his right and locking eyes with Arash. The Archer watched as - for a split second - a hint of surprise and worry flickered through the unkindled's eyes before they returned to their original calm state. "Arash." he nodded in greeting.
Romani turned towards the direction of the Archer with a far less subtle element of surprise about him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape before attempting to compose himself as best he could and utterly failing.
Arash looked between the two of them before directing his attention towards Ash "Is…something the matter?"
Ash stared at him in silence for a few moments before he spoke in a slow voice "Not at all." Arash paid particular notice of how Romani's eyes flickered to the Saber with obvious worry before they fell back upon the Archer.
"You sure?" He asked again with a hint of concern "Because it sounded like something was going on."
Ash opened his mouth to reply again before Romani jumped into the conversation "J-just running some more tests to make sure there are no after effects of Ash putting a Holy Grail in his chest." The doctor blurted out quickly, his tone shifting to be more clinical the longer he went on. "At the moment I can't see any signs of long term damage but it never hurts to be careful."
Arash gave the pair a nod of understanding "Makes sense." he affirmed to himself "Make sure not to push yourself too hard." he pointed towards Ash with a gentle smile "Just because we can get resummoned-" Romani stilled "-doesn't mean we should get careless."
"...Indeed." Ash nodded his head once, speaking in his usual cordial voice before tilting his head "Was there something that you needed?"
"Hm?" Blinking the Archer stared at him before he made an expression of remembrance "Right, right!" turning to Romani he spoke again "Do you know where abouts Master is?"
Romani blinked "Fujimaru-kun?" he spoke in a surprised tone "Can't you find him with the mental link?"
"The mental link is crowded." Ash replied this time instead of Arash "The amount of Servants who exist within Chaldea means there can be as many as a dozen voices at once if you were to activate it." he paused for a few moments, frowning "Astolfo spent several hours shouting over the link and we have since decided to only use it for emergencies and when deployed."
"...Goodness me." Romani ran a hand over his head before turning back to Arash "Is it an emergency?"
Arash paused "It's not a matter of life and death if that's what you mean." he replied, placing his hands on his hips "It's just that…I feel like Beatrice hasn't been mingling with anyone else except for me all that much." he lamented, shaking his head "And I know she can do it but that usually takes-"
"Alcohol." Romani cringed "I heard about that." sighing, the doctor rubbed his brow before giving a frown "Does she want to actually expand her social circle?"
"I think she just doesn't know how." Arash admitted with a troubled frown "So I was hoping to try and maybe find others - aside from myself - who she might be able to socialise with."
Romani nodded his head "I'd suggest some of the other Caster servants but Leo is a rather dominating personality and from what I can gather, Pharros is much the same." he grimaced "As for Sulyvahn…well…" he reached up and scratched the back of his neck "That's a whole other set of problems right there-"
"Yeah." Arash grimaced "I doubt that guy actually wants friends, given that he doesn't make much of an effort to meet up with the others." he turned to Ash "You got any advice?"
"I don't have friends." Ash stoically replied "Nor do I desire them." he paused for a few moments "I will be of little help to you, unfortunately."
Both Arash and Romani stared at him in silence for a few moments, the former in puzzlement and the latter in slight concern.
"Alright…" Arash replied slowly, still staring at Ash "If you say so…" turning back to Romani while sparing Ash another glance, he stared at the doctor "So, Master?"
"Ah, Fujimaru-kun is with the Director." Romani explained with a smile, throwing a thumb over his shoulder "He should be in her office. She's been educating him on the basics of magecraft so he isn't too ignorant when facing this sort of stuff."
Arash nodded his head "Makes sense." he paused "I don't think I know how to get to her office-"
"I will show you the way." Ash remarked, earning a surprised blink from him "I have been meaning to visit upon her at some point."
"Well…alright then." Arash gave a chuckle "Lead the way." he gestured towards Ash, the unkindled giving a single nod and turning about face and walking through the corridors. Arash and Romani shared a strange look with each other before shrugging to themselves.
"Good luck!" Romani called out to the pair, placing his hands on his hips and giving a small huff of exasperation before turning around and moving in the opposite direction towards the command centre.
Arash and Ash walked in silence through the hallways, the Archer continuously glancing at the Saber out of the corner of his eye as he moved through the halls.
"So…no friends?"
"Not anymore." Ash replied curtly.
"Alright." Arash nodded "But once?"
"Once."
"...I'm sorry."
"There is no need to apologise." Ash shook his head "The fault lies with me. It is my burden to bear." his lips drew themselves into a thin line "I encouraged him even though I knew it could only end in disaster…" he shrugged "I saw he enjoyed it so I allowed it…and he paid the price for my lapse in judgement."
Arash remained silent, nodding his head and looking straight ahead "So to stop anyone else getting hurt because of you, you refuse to form connections with them?"
"Yes." Ash nodded his head "I do. They can form connections with me all they desire, but I will not reciprocate them."
"...If you say so." Arash shrugged "Sounds awfully lonely but I won't force you if you think it isn't right."
Ash frowned slightly "...Is this not what you are doing with Beatrice?"
"Close but not quite." Arash shook his head "You've already decided not to make friends. Betty doesn't know how to. She's a social girl and when she gets talking about something she loves she really is passionate but she just doesn't have anyone to share that passion with."
"Her persecution as a witch." Ash guessed, at Arash's curious expression he elaborated further "I knew a witch of Dark by the name of Karla. She too was persecuted for her talent with it." he paused "She taught me the art of abyssal flames."
"Sounds like you didn't judge her all that much then."
"I freed her from her prison." Ash admitted "She…we were not friends." he reiterated at the expression of intrigue on the Archer's face "But I believe she did care for me as a student and I cared for her as a master."
"That's perfectly fine." Arash chuckled, "Anyway, I just want to see if Betty can get out there and make some friends beyond myself." giving a slight incline of the head and an uncaring shrug, he continued on "However, if she doesn't want to then I'll step back and leave her be. You can't force friendships between people."
He paused, turning to Ash once again "Although I am a little curious about why you are so attached to the Director?"
The Saber blinked once "...Is there some reason not to be?"
"I'm not scolding you or anything." Arash assured him "I'm just a little curious is all."
"...I prolonged her life past the point where she would have died." Ash replied "As such, I believe that I have the duty to ensure that she does not suffer greatly as a result of my own actions." his eyes turned straight ahead "If she were to suffer past a point that I deemed acceptable, I would personally take action to correct this…"
Arash chuckled, shaking his head "That just means you're worried about her then." he walked alongside the Saber "Well, I can chalk that down to 'doting guardian' in that case then. I suppose you certainly act like it at times."
Ash tilted his head "Doting guardian?"
"Means you're extremely fond of her." Arash clarified "Rather uncritically as well."
"I would not say uncritical." Ash remarked with a hint of puzzlement "She is quick to temper at times and often overlooks certain situations because of her nerves-"
"I was joking." Arash quickly assured the Saber, raising his hands in mock surrender "But still, I suppose it shows there is more than one method of caring for someone if you don't consider them a friend."
The pair entered the elevator at the end of the hall, the door closing behind them with Ash pressing the necessary button before the doors closed.
"These things really are quite remarkable." Arash mused, looking up at the floor display with a hint of wonder "Normally we'd have stairs or something when I was alive."
"Lifts were usually operated via a pulley system and a large lever where I come from." Ash admitted before he stared down "Or a large button built into the actual lift itself."
"So you had something like this as well then?" The Persian commented with a nod "I suppose that doesn't make this that big of a shock to you then, does it?"
"Not really." Ash replied as he looked back up, then squinted at the buttons "Although lifts would often stop on only two floors. Normally to get off the floors between, you would have to throw yourself from the lift and hope you did not miss the jump."
Arash turned and stared at him "...What happens if you miss?"
"...It is a long drop." Ash simply replied, Arash grimaced. Considering what Ash was, that left little to the imagination as to what he was implying.
"Well…good news is that we don't have to worry about that here."
"So…without Ether, the gods started to lose their power?" Ritsuka replied with a hint of uncertainty, Olga gave a single nod in response.
"True Ether at any rate." She corrected him "Without it, the Gods lost their ability to walk the earth as physical manifestations, however the Age of Gods did not become a clear decline Gilgamesh of Uruk initiated the separation and Solomon introduced Magecraft." she went on "With Magecraft now capable of being wielded by man without divine essence, the level of mystery surrounding the Gods suffered tremendously and they were forced to retreat from the world."
Ritsuka gave a slow nod of the head "So…Gilgamesh and Solomon put an end to the Age of Gods?"
"There were many contributing factors and the Age of Gods ended at different points for different lands." Olga paused, "But in essence, that is correct."
"Right, right…" Ritsuka nodded his head once again, pursing his lips and staring at the board behind the woman "So…that means we're in the Age of Man now?"
"Yes." She explained, scratching just underneath her right eye before directing her attention towards the clock upon the wall. "Now, we move onto the basic principles of bounded fields-"
"I…erm…thought I couldn't do those?"
"You can't." The Director flatly responded "Your capacity for magecraft is non-existent, however you might at least be able to direct your Caster servants appropriately as well as recognise different types of bounded fields when they are brought up in discussions." When she saw the nod of affirmation, she gave a single grunt and went back to the board behind her "Now, the first bounded field that you will often encounter is a simple alert field."
"So like an alarm system?" Ritsuka guessed, bringing her attention back towards him "Archer mentioned that when we went into Asterios maze that he would be able to detect us."
"Typically, yes." She nodded "The basic alarm system that will alert you if someone has passed through your established perimeter." raising her hand, she lifted a single finger "However, they can be expanded upon to determine the basic intentions of those who enter the field. Informing you whether the intruder's intentions are malevolent or benign." pausing for a few moments, she placed her hands on her hips "These would be the sort you would require at least an adequate Caster for and in the event of long durations where you are camped, it is a basic necessity for you to establish one of these to avoid an ambush."
"Okay…" Ritsuka murmured as he started to write down in the little notebook in front of him "Set up…alarm…near…camp."
"Another common bounded field is one which subconsciously tells civilians to ignore that general direction." She paused "However, this will also act as a beacon and inform any other Magus that there is someone of some modicum of skill in that general direction. It would be even worse for a decent Caster Servant and given the situation, this type is hardly going to be of use to you."
She paused once again, this time an irritated scowl came to her face and for a moment Ritsuka was concerned that he had somehow done something to set her off again. His concerns were put to rest when she aimed her annoyance towards the door of her office.
Ritsuka turned towards the door in confusion, watching as nothing happened before returning his attention to the Director. The woman opened her mouth to obviously say something. She was unable to as the door opened upwards with a hiss and Ash casually strode into the room with Arash moving in behind him.
Olga snatched up the whiteboard eraser before spinning around and hurling it at the Saber, Ritsuka winced as he watched the wooden block bounce off the Saber's face and shift his expression from blank to surprised, eventually directing his eyes downwards as the eraser thudded against the floor.
"Haven't you ever heard of knocking!?" The woman shouted at him, waving her arms at Ritsuka, "I'm in the middle of making sure your Master doesn't remain an ignorant civilian!"
Ash raised his head towards her, blinking once "...I am supposed to knock?"
Olga glared at him before realisation struck her like a train, the woman growled and slapped a hand over her face "...You've never knocked on a door before, have you?"
"It is a new concept to me." Ash admitted "And not very often."
"Fine…" She turned away from him and moved back towards the chair behind her desk "What exactly do you want that couldn't have waited until after I was done?"
"Well…I was actually here for his help." Arash stepped out from behind Ash, giving the Saber a slightly amused look as his attention darted between the board eraser and the blonde servant before shifting his attention towards Ritsuka. "A matter of team cohesion, I suppose."
Ritsuka grimaced "Is someone starting trouble or something?"
"Nothing so problematic." Arash reassured him "I just think Betty could do with some friends."
Ritsuka blinked, then tilted his head "Doesn't she have friends?"
"Beyond myself and occasionally Cu Chulainn?" Arash shook his head "I haven't seen her interact with anyone all that often." he sighed, placing his hands on his hips and giving the Master a troubled frown "It has me a little concerned."
Shifting in his chair towards the Archer, Ritsuka gave him his full attention "Do you think it's because she just prefers to be alone?"
Arash shook his head "I think she hasn't been anything except alone is the problem, she just doesn't know how to make friends all that well." gesturing towards himself "While I'm sure there might be others like me who would be able to make friends with her, we're rather…extroverted, I suppose might be the right word?"
"That is probably it." Ritsuka chuckled, then gave a thoughtful hum as he leaned back in his chair "She was very shy, wasn't she? I think it was only some of Siegward's drink that got her to open up but you can hardly have her making friends in that state…"
"Yeah." Arash shrugged "Beyond that, as much as I think people don't have to have that much in common to be friends, I feel like it would certainly benefit her to have friends with someone who she might be able to speak with at a decent rate…but our Casters around here are-"
"Yeah." Ritsuka winced, shaking his head. "Da Vinci is probably the definition of an extrovert and Sulyvahn…I don't think he likes anyone but I haven't spoken with him all that much since he was summoned, so I can't speak for him."
"So you see my problem here?"
"Oh, yeah." Ritsuka gave a serious nod of his head "Is she alright?"
"She's managing, being without company is something she's obviously used to but at the same time-"
"It's not something to just allow if it can be helped." Ritsuka finished, interlocking his hands and resting them on his lap as he leaned forwards slightly "Do you want me to talk to her?"
"I was hoping you might be able to get her introduced properly to some of the other Servants, see if any of them can at least mingle with her."
"I'll see what I can-"
"Are you serious!?" Olga growled, aiming a potent glare at Arash "You interrupted his education to try and set up a-what? A play date between Servants!?" she stood up, slamming her hands on the table "This is a serious matter! Besides, what does it matter if she doesn't really have friends!? As long as she does the job she was summoned for then that's fine!"
Her eyes fell upon Ash "And what exactly are you here for? You just walked in and haven't said a word!"
The Saber stared at her "...I was making sure you were in good health." his lips thinned "I have determined that you are still fine."
Olga blinked at him "You…what?"
"He means he came to check up on you." Arash snickered, crossing his arms and shaking his head "He's quite the worrier it seems."
Olga stared at the Archer with a blank expression before her eyes fell on the Saber, the two stared at each other in silence for a few moments before her lips drew themselves into a thin line. "...I don't need someone to watch over me." she spoke in an icy voice.
"That is for me to decide." Ash replied in an equally blank tone "The moment I saved your life, it became my duty to ensure you maintained a quality of life free of great suffering."
Olga gave an ugly snort "I doubt you can help with that in any capacity. Unless you can just snap your fingers and undo this entire mess here and now."
"...That is beyond my power."
"Then all you need to do is obey your master and spend less time being concerned about me." She scowled at him, almost daring the unkindled to say anything in response.
"That is your opinion." Ash admitted "However, I still consider it my duty to oversee-"
"Your 'duty' is to your Master." Her voice was sharp as her eyes locked onto him "I am not some helpless child who needs to be babied around. Least of all by you."
Ash stared at her in silence for a few moments, eventually he opened his mouth and replied "Regardless. I will continue to ensure you are not suffering greatly. Whether you believe that is for your best interest or my own, that is for you to decide." his eyes hardened. "But you will not stop me taking an interest in your well-being and potential suffering. Even if no one else were to care for your suffering, I would. I will not ignore it because I cannot."
Olga's scowl faded away into a faint frown, her eyes narrowed slightly "...Do what you want, I don't care." she waved her hand dismissively at him "If that's all you came here for."
"It is." He turned around, swiftly leaving the room and the others within it without another word.
Arash watched him depart, then turned his head towards Olga "...He's just worried you know."
"There are more pressing things to be worried about than me." She swiftly replied "And apparently finding friends."
"You say that but do you think someone in his position is accustomed to saving lives as opposed to taking them?" Arash inquired, crossing his arms and giving her a raised eyebrow. "You might think he has other things to concern himself with…but he's probably new to this as well."
"He's new to everything!" She snapped at him "I am grateful that he saved my life but I don't need him hanging over my shoulder every five seconds in case I've scraped my knee!" stamping her foot down, she glared at Archer "Why does he think he has to care so much!? I'm the Director of Chaldea and the Head of the Animusphere family! I don't need him to look after me!"
"Maybe you don't." Arash shrugged, "...But everyone needs someone to care about them, even if only a little." He gave her a faint smile "It's why I'm here, asking for help in regards to Betty. I believe that's the best thing I can do, it might not be the biggest concern we have at the moment…but it's one I think is just as important to me." chuckling, he shook his head "I am a 'hero' after all. What good would I be if I didn't try to help someone every now and again?"
She stared at the Archer in silence before giving an annoyed huff, slumping back into her chair and waving her hand at the pair of them "As long as it doesn't cut into your training or your education, I don't care." she paused, then narrowed her eyes at the pair "Do not disrupt the whole of Chaldea over this, however."
Ritsuka smiled at her "We won't…and thanks, Director."
She grunted "Don't thank me. I'm just telling you to use your free time how you want." she turned her chair away from the pair, staring at the bookcase behind her "...You can both go now."
"Alright." Ritsuka stood up, turning to the Archer "Come on Arash."
"Right behind you." The Archer chuckled as he followed the Master out of the room, leaving the Director alone to sit in silence.
Olga continued to stare at the book case, her lip quivering slightly.
"Even if nobody understands you, I do."
She sniffled, glaring down at the ground and tightening her hands around the armrests of the chair "...Liar."
Her eyes raised themselves up, glaring at the spot where a photo had once rested. A man in a green suit and tophat with a young white haired girl, long since discarded.
"So do we actually have any ideas on who we could get to be friends with her?" Ritsuka quizzed as he wandered through the halls with the Archer, the man cupped his chin and frowned in thought.
"If I am being honest, I was sort of hoping you might have some ideas yourself." He gave a wry chuckle before he paused and shook his head, gesturing to his eyes "Unfortunately, my Clairvoyance isn't actually all that useful for situations such as these, although I do wish it was."
"How does that-nevermind." Ritsuka shook his head, dismissing the question "We can worry about that later."
"Maybe…" Arash muttered, cupping his chin in thought "I don't know, I'll let you know if I end up seeing anything that might help." he paused "I'm still drawing a blank for companions at the moment."
Ritsuka paused, "...What about some of the more extroverted servants that aren't like Da Vinci?" he suggested with a shrug "Actually, what about Ash-"
"Ah." Arash winced "He says he's not interested in having friends."
"...Oh." Ritsuka blinked once "A-alright…I see."
"I don't think it's anything personally wrong with you." Arash reassured him, patting the younger boy on the shoulder "It's more like I don't think he's ready for friends right now. In the future, perhaps…for right now? Probably not."
"I see." Ritsuka gave a troubled frown "Alright…so, ideas for servants?"
"Well…I suppose we might be able to consult some of the less extroverted servants." He paused, then snapped his fingers "I've got just the one in mind!"
"So…you just wanted to kill a single sparrow?"
"Swallow." Sasaki corrected the witch with a cheery smile, "A single swallow." chuckling at her expression, his smile turned conspiratorial. "And it was quite the dangerous bird as well."
Beatrice wet her lips "Was it…giant?"
"Oh, no." Sasaki shook his head as he continued to walk through the halls, on the request of Master and Arash, he had found the witch as she was walking through Chaldea and decided to join her for some company. He wasn't adverse to the idea. He had hardly actually spoken to her at all, so it was good to at least greet the individuals you would be working with in the future.
"N-no?" Beatrice stopped walking, gawking at the back of the Assassin before she sped up "Wait…did it have magic?"
"No."
"W-what about blessings from the Gods?"
"None that I could see."
"E-erm…Poison?"
"Afraid not." Sasaki's smirk gradually turned wider and wider as he heard the desperation in her voice as she searched for an answer.
"T-then…wait…was it just a normal bird!?"
"Who knows?" Sasaki shrugged his shoulders, giving a merry chuckle to himself as he did so "However, it was certainly a fearsome foe regardless. You should have heard its chirps."
"A-aha!" Beatrice pointed at him "S-so it could release powerful cries!"
"Hm? Oh, I mean they were a little loud after a while." Sasaki replied with his voice still tinged with amusement "Perhaps even slightly grating after a time, but otherwise harmless physically."
Beatrice slowly lowered the hand and then glared at him "You're making fun of me."
"Oh, I assure you." Sasaki replied with an earnest expression as he walked ahead "I am being completely serious."
"I-I don't believe you!" Beatrice cried out, pointing at him accusingly "I know there was something wrong with that sparrow-"
"Swallow."
"...Swallow." She corrected herself "There was something wrong with that swallow, you're just lying about it."
"I would never." Sasaki turned to her with an expression of mock hurt "It is one of Sasaki Kojiro's greatest claims to fame."
"Killing a swallow?!"
"It was a very fearsome swallow." The Assassin beamed at her, turning back around and moving on ahead. Leaving her behind and in a state of stupor. The woman's eyes hardened as she glared at the Assassins back and her eyes narrowed.
"...I still think you're a liar." She muttered under her breath, stomping after him.
Had she spared a glance over her shoulder, she would have noticed the presence of two others in the corridor behind them.
Ritsuka and Arash stared at her and then looked towards each other, eventually the pair gave a shrug towards their other conversation partner.
"I'd say that's some progress?" Arash guessed, scratching his chin "Although I'm not sure if that is really the sort of relationship that she needs." he winced "Maybe less teasing and more cordial friend?"
"Maybe." Ritsuka admitted, placing his hands on his hips "And I'm not sure if Betty will actually try and make a friend out of him."
"I think we might have just signaled her out as a target for teasing." Arash pointed out, cringing ever so slightly "If I managed to find her reactions a little amusing, you can bet Kojiro did as well…he seems the sort to find amusement in that kind of thing." he chuckled "I suppose we might be a bit alike in that department."
"Maybe." Ritsuka scratched his cheek "...This is going to be an ongoing sort of project, isn't it?"
"Most likely." Arash admitted, turning towards the Master and giving a shrug "Still, I don't see how it would hurt."
"One step at a time, right?" Ritsuka muttered, cupping his chin "Well…I suppose we can always wait until the next Servant arrives, or maybe a friendship will form on its own. Like with you and her."
"That might also happen." Arash admitted "...Can't hurt to nudge them in the right direction though."
"I suppose not." Ritsuka chuckled in response before his lips thinned and he looked up at the Archer "...So Ash doesn't think of us as friends?"
"He told me people can form connections if they wish…but they shouldn't expect him to reciprocate them." He sighed, rubbing his forehead "It's a bit strange to me but if that's how he wants it…"
Ritsuka frowned slightly, "That sounds…lonely."
"Some people are like that though." Arash shrugged, "You can help someone who doesn't know how to make friends…you can't help someone who doesn't want to make friends." he stared off towards the hallway the Caster had vanished down "You can only hope they change their attitude but forcing the issue will only make things worse."
"Lead a horse to water but can't make it drink, sort of thing?" Ritsuka guessed, Arash gave a single nod.
"...Give him time." He advised, "That's all I can say."
"Alright then." The Master sighed, then sniffed "...I'm hungry."
Arash chuckled, shaking his head "I've already eaten, you should ask to see if Mash would be willing to eat with you."
Ritsuka blinked at him, then gave a single nod of the head "I will." he smiled, walking on "I'll ask Romani as well…don't think I've ever eaten with him before…" his voice disappeared down the hallway as he continued to talk to himself.
Arash watched the Master leave with a wry smile "I suppose I can nudge in the right direction with more than just friendships though." he muttered to himself, crossing his arms and shaking his head.
AN: Arash and Beatrice focused chapter. I suppose you might have been expecting some grand quest for friends but it will still be an ongoing issue for some time. A lot more tame than others though.
But finding friends for a witch of the woods is certainly going to be difficult. And a bit more on how Ash views his situation with Olga.