(Chaldea Training Grounds)
"It might be odd to ask this now, but you do know how to use a gun, right?'' Chloe asked Gudako a few days after their latest Event had been wrapped up.
They were not assembled there to use the shooting range themselves, though. The research group consisted of the usual participants: da Vinci to handle the instrumentation, Georgios as their primary (True Name Discernment) user, Sasaku with her variant, and Scathach with her expertise on Skills, were all looking to investigate Shiki's particular abilities.
Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, the Security Organization's newest Assassin couldn't casually use her (Mystic Eyes of Death Perception) without the sort of exertion that was essentially Noble Phantasm-level. Additionally, her Class meant that applying what she did see was extremely complicated without help due to having to rely on basic statistics to actually hit.
"I know how to use firearms, but I'm also out of practice so it doesn't really count,'' Gudako replied modestly. "In fact, my revolver is sitting in one of Chaldea's armories so that it can actually get used if things come to that. Which it wouldn't sitting in My Room.''
"Because you use magecraft?''
"Yes, it works at the speed of will, which is far faster than taking a shot. Besides, it's the year 2020 now, those overpowered revolvers are mostly relics of the immediate Founding era,'' the homunculus explained.
"Overpowered how?'' a nearby Mary, who was watching Anne practice trick shots for some reason, asked upon overhearing this. Something which was easy enough for a Servant.
"They shoot the same intermediate cartridge as the rifles.''
"Wait, we've passed New Years?'' Shiki realized with some shock after a comment made by one of the others working with her. "Humanity's been out for a few months already?''
"It's already March,'' da Vinci commented without pausing the reading-taking. "Yeah, nine months roughly.''
"Wow, we're all the way past... Valentines.''
"Huh, so we are,'' Chloe thought about it for a moment. "It was between Artoria's training with Heroine X and the apartment tower Event you joined us after. I could've made a great chocolate too...''
"Uh, for who?'' Gudako wondered. "No one here celebrates that.''
"Wouldn't the children, at least?'' da Vinci picked up. "I mean they do live normal lives in Fuyuki usually. Not sure why you'd be all on about giving chocolate to Matthew though.''
"Oh...''
"Hu hu, I'm pretty sure she's thinking about someone a bit older,'' Ruby popped up to add some running commentary. "What about you, anyone that you missed the chance to give choco to?''
"Me? Chocolate? Oh, I see.'' Sasaku seemed particularly taken by surprise on hearing the foodstuff mentioned.
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(Corridor Outside Cafeteria)
"And what are you three up to?'' Marie asked a trio of Rulers who were blocking the corridor. Not that they filled up the whole width, but by standing in the middle of it, one could at best possibly squeeze past.
"Oh, we were just wondering what this cat was up to,'' Jeanne answered her first. "It seemed to have gotten lost. Or something like that.''
"What?'' The Rider looked over her shoulder at the young feline. "They're already a few months old - adults by now.''
"It kept on trying to follow people into the cafeteria, and getting upset, even though we helped carry it back out a few times,'' Georgios explained.
"Wasn't there some sort of ward on the entrances, I thought one of the Masters explained it,'' Marie frowned. "At least I thought that is why they couldn't go in.''
"Nothing like that.'' Gudao, who had been on the gathering run with Marie, among others, clarified. "Areas which are off-limits to cats just feel bad to them, is how I think it was put to us. Possibly linked to the various phenomena about animals detecting incoming disasters or so on. Hmm, if someone dropped food or something that smelled like it close to the door, I suppose one of the cats would get in a loop of trying to get to it, getting distressed, then afterwards trying to get back inside again.''
"No one was paying attention to what it was doing though,'' Martha wondered. "How long would a cat keep at it if we hadn't gotten involved?''
"Depends on how persistent it feels like being I guess.'' Gudao eyed the animal neutrally. "Usually if you leave them be they'll get tired of it, and it only takes two or three episodes before they just ignore anything past the invisible boundary. If they get stuck inside and can't see how to get out then one of them might freak out a bit, but that's actually rare. Right, I hope you didn't try distracting it with any of your food.''
"They can't eat it, yeah?''
"Indeed they can't. Only Fou can, and he's obviously not a cat, dog, squirrel or whatever else.''
"Can Tamamo Cat communicate with him?'' Martha asked. "Fou can't quite talk in the way Tarasque can, but Cat is, well...''
"But have you ever tried talking with Cat?'' Jeanne quipped. "If anything at least with a cat you can understand to just not.''
"Though Cat is so multi-skilled,'' Georgios observed. "Being able to handle materials like that made our previous food look as sophisticated as throwing ingredients into fire.''
"Excuse us, can you not block the corridor,'' the musical classical Greek accent of Euryale scolded the now even larger group that was at this point straight up blocking the entryway.
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(Chaldea Training Grounds)
"Your footwork is definitely improving,'' a Shinsengumi manslayer commented to the Princess Knight. "Is there a reason you don't use Excalibur though? I had the impression that for Holy Sword wielders, using a higher-ranked weapon would be better.''
"Not in terms of blade use,'' the senior Saber replied to explain picking the rich blue sword over the powerful silvery one. "That and its whole relation to that Santa thing makes it more like a specialized hammer that you use for only one thing. It's a really good hammer of course, but even in the case of piercing a powerful defense, Caliburn is more efficient.''
Okita understood immediately. After all, something like her Triple Thrusts worked by concentrating impacts, not just hammering a wide area with magical energy. "Still, even after all that training with X?''
"Unfortunately so. The Masters, and Merlin too I suppose, had hoped to be able to gain the power of the Sword of Promised Victory but, um, well it doesn't quite fit with this Spirit Origin.''
"That's indeed unfortunate. I guess Holy Swords have a lot more to them than I thought.''
"Nm. Well, perhaps the right wielder will come along if its full power is needed. Though that would be hard, as I am carrying it, and they probably can't arrive unless I'm already dead.''
"Like the sort of last-ditch scenario where when the person in front falls, the person behind picks up their weapon and continues fighting?''
"Maybe. I'd say humanity is basically already past that point though, what with being Incinerated and all.''
"Right...'' Okita didn't have anything to say to Artoria's prognosis - or rather postmortem.
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(Sasaku's Room)
"This might be rather sudden, but it's time you moved out,'' the Servant declared upon returning to her own place after finishing Shiki's shakedown run and associated documentation.
"Eh, what?'' Iri asked in confusion.
"To where?'' Matthew inquired, remembering that they had moved earlier due to a lack of space.
"The Masters repurposed a couple of rooms near your parents'. The renovations were done a little while ago.'' Sasaku shrugged lightly. "Of course Gudako only remembered to tell me it was even a thing when I asked but there you have it. They've set it up like their own rooms; that two-door connection though the wall. Ah, but though it's next door neither room connects to your parents' since their walls are Vault-level. Anyway, get your things together and I'll show you your new place.''
(My Room)
"Heh, so she just let it go with that?'' Gudao commented, more in surprise than questioning what his partner had told him.
Gudako returned a wry smile. Considering the Ruler had been to their place a few times, she had clearly not been unaware of what was going on next door. But perhaps it was her odd sense of humor that prompted the Servant to ask a few potentially embarrassing questions to the Master before leaving to, well, pretty much evict the children from her room.
"I suppose she cottoned on from the very start,'' Gudao continued. "Not that the setup was in any way subtle.''
"Of course not. Some things are better done right in the open. Though it was relevant, for at least the first few days, that she was probably the only one that could stop Matou if she went wild on us. Cleanly, that is.''
"What I don't get is how Valentine's chocolate comes into it; as you tell it, she had to do a lookup to even understand what it was.''
"Oh. Just a guess here, but something out of left field like that would probably go back to some conversation with Tamamo Cat, I'd expect.'' Gudako glanced at the 'current' date on her computer. "And going by Fuyuki traditions, White Day is approaching.''
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Notes:
If you're wondering how the wall between Gudao-Gudako's My Room works, basically they took a Vault (sized like what Shirou and Sakura had) and added a partition wall in between. As with the Halls, consideration of placement of furniture with respect to the weak points (doors) goes without saying.