By the Bonfire: Planting seeds
The tanned human passed her by, he offered only a faint nod of the head as he did so. Yet his expression remained utterly devoid of emotion. It was rather unusual, that was the only reason she actually recalled it happening. Perhaps if it had been the only case of it, she would have thought nothing of it.
But then it happened again.
Laughter from up ahead, a pair rounded the corner. The pink haired young boy with the attraction of a girl, accompanied by a small blonde knightess girl. She could not recall their names, only their appearances. The two of them seemed to be in high spirits as they discussed something with one another.
It was a moment of joy shared between the two of them.
"They always talk about the tree thing but really, it might not have been the best way to start it all off but it was really quite interesting, you know?" The boy remarked with a grin plastered on his face, "I actually like to think I made very good friends with the birds who lived around there. Well, I think it did because they kept on coming back and sometimes they would bring their lovers as well…that was less fun but it was always nice to see lovebirds."
A raised eyebrow from the blonde. "Lovebirds, really?"
"Huh? What do you-Ah! I didn't even mean to do that! Pffftahahahaha-"
The laughter died the second his head turned, the mere instant he made eye contact with her and the laughter ended so suddenly it was as though he had just stopped speaking. The mirth vanished away from his face in the next instant, he stared at her with a perfectly blank expression.
Confusion washed over the face of the blonde, then she turned and looked straight ahead and made eye contact. The smile on her face dimmed a little but at least remained, the two of them slowed their walk as she approached, then they stepped to the side and allowed her to pass.
All the while, the pink haired human kept his eyes on her, not even a hint of anything in his gaze as he stared. She met his gaze and offered a smile towards him and a nod of the head, he just remained vacant as he stared at her.
…He was probably a little awed by her.
That was why he didn't do anything and stared, it was not every day that someone like her would walk through the hallways. She could not recall meeting them so it must have been a first. Indeed, they were both probably rather captured by her beauty, she was aware of the problem with her soul but that was held back as far as she could manage it.
Even still, it was natural that she would be a beacon.
Even as she walked, she could feel the stare on the back of her head.
The laughter never resumed.
But it played on loop.
He was laughing, then he wasn't.
It was like her skin was itching.
That was how it felt.
She walked through the halls, silent as the Servants passed her by without even a word. That was perhaps something she noticed, they didn't speak with her. They just walked past her, only ever nodding their heads - if she was fortunate - else all she would get would be a silent look and then they'd walk past her.
Coming to a halt in front of the door she had searched out, she reached out and gently tapped her knuckles on the front of it. Silence remained for all of a second, then the door opened up and revealed the young human, the one who had such a painful sounding cough which could not be cured, not even by her.
Orbs of light silver flickered up and met her eyes, the same smile remained on her face but there was something about it. Something Gwynevere knew right from the start, such a false smile she wore. Perhaps she did not even realise she was smiling, she knew the feeling well. Doing something for long enough and it became second nature.
"Is there something I can do to assist you?"
The young human inquired, her tone polite.
"I assumed that Sir Arkon would be present here?" Moving past the human, she ventured into the room and glanced around, sparing only a cursory glance of the interior before her eyes landed on the other individual in the room, sat at the desk. Her eyes froze on them, then her expression flattened as she stared at the back of their head.
Long dark hair, bright red cape and black uniform.
The human by the name of Oda Nobunaga - the one Arkon had called a 'Demon' or so she claimed to be - turned and looked over her shoulder. Red eyes gazed at her for all of half a second before she made a small noise, turning her head back around and staring straight ahead without saying anything.
Gwynevere stared at her, then returned the favour and ignored her entirely, bringing her focus back onto the human woman who was captain of the guard. Still stood by the doorway, though something in her gaze which had not been there before. She remained silent as she stepped away, moving back across the room and towards the other side of the desk before she replied to her earlier question.
"Guardsman Arkon is away seeing to another matter, he shall return when it is completed." They explained without even looking up from the papers they were sorting through, briefly pausing to examine the latest one before similarly pushing that to the side. "I can offer you the chance to pass along a message for him when he returns, but I shall warn you that it may be some time before he arrives."
She hummed. "Would it not be possible for me to simply call for him now?"
"He is acting on behalf of Chaldea's security." Was the swift explanation she received, the human sitting themselves down and adjusting herself in her seat, adjusting her sleeves and picking up a pen and paper, soon writing down and keeping their gaze straight down at the table. "It would be in the best interests if he was given the chance to focus on his own work without distractions."
Distractions.
"And you imply that I would be a distraction?"
"Anything that would remove him from his current assignment would be a distraction." They argued back evenly, briefly glancing up and towards her for a short moment, then returning their gaze to their work as they continued their writing. Gwynevere shot a glance towards the papers, then back to the human. "It is merely the case that if you were to approach him now, it would be a distraction."
…Alright then.
Turning away, she swept her eyes over the room once more, taking a longer time of memorising the details of it before she hummed quietly. She could see the logic behind the statement, especially if Arkon was on important business. Bringing herself towards the side of the room, she found herself standing before one of the simple looking chairs. It was certainly nothing at all like the seats of Anor Londo, but she was a far way from home and the comforts were no longer available to her.
She turned around, then lowered herself into the chair, smiling all the while.
"In that case, I shall remain until he returns from his duty."
Her eyes moved between the two others in the room, the Demon remained silent as she leaned into the chair, saying nothing beyond making a small grunting noise and glancing towards the silver eyed human. The platinum blonde thinned her lips, eventually they turned their head in her direction and furrowed their brows. "Is there something pressing you need from guardsman Arkon?"
She inclined her head. "Why should my need of him matter? I simply have need of him." she waved a hand. "If you cannot withdraw him from his duty, then the only sensible option is for me to await his return. Surely I can be of no 'distraction' to him until he is actually finished with his duty, can I?"
The human thinned her lips. "No, but I require this space to work…"
"And? You are capable of multitasking, aren't you?"
"That is beside the point." They replied slowly, turning in their chair to face her with the smile on their face gradually disappearing, replaced with a flat expression. "What I am trying to explain is that I am currently in the middle of my own work and your presence here would serve as a…distraction."
Gwynevere stared at her. "A distraction."
"Yes." She nodded her head. "This room serves for one of two reasons, either for Servants or other residents of Chaldea to relay their problems to me, or for the security forces to use as a base of operations…it is outside of it's purposes to serve as a waiting room for you."
The platinum blonde let out a weary sigh. "I have little knowing of when guardsman Arkon will return from his active duty and it is very much the case I will need him for another assignment when his current one ends, there is official time off at a later period of time…I can pass along a message for him to meet with you, but it cannot occur before his shift has come to an end."
She had kept silent until the human had stopped speaking, her eyes remained on them right until the moment in which they had finished. Then the silence began, neither one of them saying anything as they stared at the other. Gwynevere narrowed her gaze ever so slightly, remaining seated as she stared at the Servant, then eventually speaking up. "And what is the assignment?"
"It is a matter of security to handle, until you become a member of security - in the event of that even being a possibility - then you will be kept abreast of the situations that arise." The woman straightened herself out in her seat, replying with a toneless voice. "But until such a time arises, then it is not for me to discuss what is or is not being done by security. Like all others, you will simply have to rely on other sources of information."
Bringing her hand up, Gwynevere rubbed at her chin with a single finger. Humming quietly for a couple of seconds. They spoke rather strongly about this, perhaps it was merely a case of them taking their role seriously and yet they seemed rather zealous towards it. Perhaps overly so, the silence of the self-proclaimed Demon did little to assure her. Her presence at all was a mystery, which meant she was likely involved in this somehow.
Yet everything she had done seemed to have a convenient answer, something that could be said to turn her away. She comes here for Arkon and then she is bombarded with reason after reason as to why she cannot see him? It was a little unusual for her. Especially with how adamant they were about the topic of a distraction. Unless they meant in the sense that…
Ah, so that was what they meant.
"I can keep myself hidden, if that should be your worry about my presence."
The platinum blonde blinked once, then twice, her brows furrowed and her stare became more questioning. Clearly she wasn't prepared for the answer she received, but it was something she could elaborate on if that was the real problem for her.
"My authority, it does more than allow me to flutter my eyelids." She explained further, bringing her hand up and waving it to the side, offering a polite smile towards the human. She could understand what they meant now, they were just worried that they could not complete their jobs with her present. It made much more sense now, it was a problem she had encountered before. She was a distraction in the sense they could not keep their eyes off her. "I can remain here with neither one of you being aware in the least."
The platinum blonde leaned back into her chair, her hand came up and rubbed away at her eyes, not replying for a couple of seconds. When she did lower her hand, she revealed a rather complicated expression, one that told her that they had no clue what they were supposed to say. Or perhaps they knew what they wanted to say, but were unsure as to whether they could say it.
"The heck do you want with the guy anyway?" The self-proclaimed demon woman asked rather suddenly, Gwynevere suppressed the twitch at the complete lack of respect that was shown with her wording, crass and rather bored in tone. Even when she turned her eyes onto the Servant, she noted they had more interest in looking at the dirt beneath their fingernails than actually towards her.
"I had thought that it was a custom to look someone in the eye when you speak with them." She reminded them, the self-proclaimed demon merely hummed in a rather bored fashion, very nearly disinterested with what was going on.
"Hmmm…" They flicked something out from beneath their finger nail, remaining silent for a couple of seconds as they smacked their lips together, then brought their shoulders up and down in a short motion. "Probably."
They did not move in the least.
"Do not try and provoke a reaction here and now of all times." The platinum blonde human chided her with a stern tone of voice, one that brought little warning. In reaction to this, the black haired human just blew air out from between her teeth and made a rippling noise as they did so, the total lack of respect just made Gwynevere curl her lip downwards towards them, then turn her head from them just as quickly.
Was it truly worth using her authority now to prove a point?
…She might as well.
With an internal shrug of her shoulders, her eyes returned to the dark haired human as she offered a faint smile, though their head remained turned away, she could see the precise moment they felt her influence. Their shoulders tensed and their posture went straight, their breathing halted for a half second before the red eyes snapped to her just out of the corner of her vision. "Can you please look me in the eyes?"
The human finally did as they were told.
"Now then, since we have finally reached the point of polite conversation between two civilised people." She patted down her lap, brushing away crinkles in her clothes, bringing her head back up and looking towards the young woman, a smile still on her face as she did so. "I merely wish to see Arkon so that I might speak with him, he is - after all - a Silver Knight of Anor Londo and I have matters to discuss with him…which I'm certain holds little relation to you."
She let the words hang in the air, keeping her eyes on the human, then she slackened her hold over them. They fell back into the chair, acting as though they had just learned how to start breathing once more. A rather irritated look flickered over their face, they made a gesture to move out of the chair before the platinum blonde stood up, leaning across the desk and placing a hand on the shoulder of the Servant.
"Do not start anything with her." They cautioned once more, then turned their head in her direction and fixed her with the same manner of look. "...And I would remind you not to use your divine powers on trivial disputes between other Servants."
Gwynevere inclined her head, raising a brow. "She started it when she opted to be petty, there is no reason to forgo basic manners."
"Brainwashing is basic manners now, huh?" A scoff from the dark haired woman, red eyes narrowed rather intensely. "Remind me to never attend one of your dinner parties. I'd hate to see what you considered good manners."
She stifled a chuckle. It was such a silly little thing with all the comments it was making, she brought her hand to her lips, covering them and allowing a flutter of laughter to escape her as she bore the brunt of what she assumed was the frustration of the little Servant. It was such a novel concept, all these different beings acting as though they could try and sway her opinion. "Oh…I'm certain that you would find the concept rather foreign to you all the same. But since we all know where we stand with one another, there is no reason for us to continue this little performance."
Resting her hands on her lap, her fingers interlocked over one another. "We can all go back to working as we were. You shan't even notice I am within the room, then when Arkon returns we can act as though this little incident never even happened in the first place." a raised eyebrow towards the platinum blonde. "Is that acceptable to you?"
"...No."
Gwynevere blinked once.
No? She thought she was actually being rather fair, all things considered. They had hardly been the most welcoming hosts in the world and she was doing them a favour by even offering to wait in the room. Perhaps they were expecting her to do something more while she waited? Or did they think she had other matters to attend to?
"I assure you, I do not have other things to concern myself with." She offered with a shake of the head. "I am not wasting my time in remaining-"
"That is not what I meant."
"Please don't interrupt me." Her eyes locked onto the human, she continued to smile but she wasn't quite feeling as pleased as she was earlier. Something rather odd was happening with this conversation, and she wasn't sure she liked the direction it was going. "Now then, what precisely do you mean when you say you have a problem with my being here? I believe I have addressed all the issues and provided solutions for them, have I not?"
A slow nod of the head from the platinum blonde, that was as pleasing as it was confusing. On the one hand, the human understood what she was saying, but on the other it was becoming apparent that there was some other problem she couldn't quite see. If they understood, then why exactly did they have a problem with her being there?
"You have indeed provided workable solutions." The platinum blonde affirmed aloud, speaking in an even tone of voice. "I would simply prefer it if you were not in my office while I was working. Whether you remain cloaked to the world or not…It would simply be preferable to me if my job was carried out as smoothly and efficiently as possible."
…She didn't quite understand what they were saying.
Her brows furrowed a bit, her head tilt became a little deeper and her lips pulled themselves into a small frown. The longer she thought about it, the less it made sense to her. "What do you mean?"
The human opened her mouth, then closed it a moment later as a strange look came over her face. It seemed as though she did not entirely know what she was supposed to say, then she closed her eyes, taking a single breath, opening her eyes once more and speaking clearly.
"I believe it would be in the best interests of everyone if you were not in the room unless there is something that specifically requires the services of the security of Chaldea. I shall make this clear that not even your status as a Goddess or Royalty makes you an exception. To me, you are still a fellow Servant and I shall treat you no differently."
Gwynevere kept silent.
"And as such, I would prefer that you not be present where I am certain you will doubtless cause trouble with others in the room, or where they will cause trouble with you." She continued on, briefly gesturing to the dark haired human in front of her. "If you truly need Sir Arkon, then I would advise you to return at a later time when he is not working, or I might pass along a message. As I have explained before."
She still kept silent.
The black haired human made a loud groaning noise, her hand touched the side of her head as she gestured her arm around. "She's not used to being told something like this, you need to be very clear, Manslayer."
They turned to her and looked her right in the eye. "She's basically saying she doesn't want you squatting here and waiting to ambush one of her subordinates with a really pointless request, because she knows you're basically going to end up strong arming the guy into it." their expression turned flat, looking her up and down as though she was something distasteful and then speaking again. "Also the idea of you just sitting there using your weirdo magic to keep yourself invisible is just plain creepy."
Her eyes narrowed on the human, though she did not respond immediately. Her eyes moved between the two of them, the lack of a response from the other one was all but screaming her support from the former. Rising up from her seated position, her eyes wandered between the two of them intermittently. It would be nothing, less than nothing, to convince them that she could remain.
…It would be more trouble than it was ultimately worth, if they were too ignorant to understand what they were saying, then that was hardly her own fault. With a turn of the heel, she walked back towards the door and opened it up with a mere wave of the hand. Silently exiting without trading further words with them.
Arkon was nowhere to be found.
Going through several floors had yielded nothing, even trying to gain a fixture on his location within Chaldea itself had proven to be rather difficult, the presence of many other divine beings had squandered her talent for finding specific individuals. The presence of so many peers, and so many who had a stronger presence than the Silver Knight, was starting to become an issue. They had all but drowned him out.
Really, if she was going to find him, it would take quite a bit longer…
…It would take quite a bit more effort than she had expected, and really, why would she actually go through all of that effort in the first place? All of it for a lone Silver knight of barely any repute, she could not even recall meeting him before and while she was sure his name was familiar, she could not even place it.
How odd.
She could not even remember why she had been searching out Arkon in the first place, perhaps she was merely after a conversation with him, but if she would be denied then there were other places where she could likely find it. She doubted that there would be a Servant in all Chaldea, that would turn down the chance of speaking with her.
If it was entertainment she sought, then she was certain that merely walking around would yield her something more interesting than a single knight of the old world. After all, Chaldea was a place of many converging lands, there would doubtless be others who would prove themselves to be far more interesting than the Silver Knight could have been.
Yes, that sounded like a much finer idea.
Those earlier interactions with those two little humans were nothing more than exceptions, she had encountered those before. Those who did not wish to behold her brilliance, they were truly no different to the likes of Sulyvahn. Perhaps not in extent but the foundation remained the same, those who did not truly appreciate the Gods influence over the world.
"Gwynevere."
She stopped walking, the voice cut through the air like a hammer.
Blunt and cold.
She did not turn, but her head shifted just a little in the direction of the voice. She offered nothing more than that, for it was all the acknowledgement she had within her to spare for this one.
Heavy footsteps, they approached her from behind without further words, a shadow fell over her and came upon her right side, stepping around and moving to the front. She tracked its movement, remaining silent and keeping her face still as her older brother stepped before her, keeping his eyes on her, bringing his arms up and folding them over his chest.
"Is there something you wished to discuss?" She kept her words as cold as they were curt.
Something flickered through the golden eyes of her brother, they looked so much less now than ever before. She had not really noticed until just this moment, but he really didn't look the part as he used to. Certainly still a menacing figure but that was all it was, like he had been deflated of all his grandeur. What a sad thing he was now.
"...The Forossan knight you spoke with recently, the one with a mark of divinity upon him." She wasn't sure he had even seen that, but it seemed he was more observant than she would give him credit for. Perhaps the years had done him some small good after all. "What did you speak with him of?"
She raised a brow. "And why do you wish to know? I do not intrude upon your every conversation-"
"I prefer to know what you discuss with those of my own country." He demanded, unwilling to even let her finish her sentence. Oh, he was getting so very annoyed now. She could see it in his eyes, but he was holding back from the true reason. The reason that she was certain they both knew at this point, even with the foreign mark of divinity upon that little knight. "And I would prefer to know whether you intended to speak with them again if they were summoned?"
She leaned back, pursing her lips. "This is rather defensive of you, should I become just as intense if you were to question one of my own knights summoned unto this place? Perhaps if I were to ever see you make conversation with my daughter, I should sweep you away in private and then interrogate you for even speaking with-"
He stepped closer, looming down over her. "What you do is of your own accord. If you wish to ask me what I do, then you are entitled to do such." his eyes narrowed rather dangerously, a promise of something unpleasant within them. "Just as I am entitled to ask you about your intentions with those I was patron over, that is my responsibility as their God."
Her brows raised. "I was under the impression you abandoned that claim as a God…" she took a step back, moving out of his shadow and waving a hand up and down while curling her lip disapprovingly. "It certainly feels as though you have stepped away from such responsibilities, I would say you are rather lacking these days."
Silence from him, nothing more than a stare.
"Furthermore, I understand that the Kingdom of Forossa fell to ruin." Cupping her chin rather gently, she posed him the innocuous question. "Does that not free you from responsibility from the Kingdom? It was born, it lived and it perished. I am surprised you even put thought into it now, I certainly wouldn't show this much affection for something that is long gone."
The dull golden eyes of the Rider crinkled. "...Is that truly how you feel?"
She frowned. "I say this for your own benefit brother, you can feel pride for your achievement of this country of yours but tying yourself to it for so very long…your attachment to it shall only bring you to ruin, though it might be rather late for that, given your current existence as a Servant."
"...Attachment, you say?" He replied slowly to her, inclining his head to one side and then staring at her with a rather odd look in his eyes. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, but she didn't like it. She did not like it one bit. "...I shall ask you again, for what reason did you even speak with a knight of Forossa? We can call this a weakness of mine to remain attached long after the land has fallen, but I doubt your interest was so fleeting…why did you approach them? Was it because they were of Forossa?"
Honestly, she was starting to get tired of this little word game of his. They both knew why exactly he was interested in who she was speaking with in the first place, but she really didn't see what the problem was in the first place. With a faint sigh and a roll of the eyes, she supposed she could grant him some manner of answer, if that was the game he was so interested in playing.
"He caught my eye because of his similarity to you…It would seem he plays host to a War God of this world, in case you wished for specifics." The stiffen he made was rather telling, he might as well have let out an explosive sigh for all the subtlety he had with him. "That and he was a left handed swordsman, a rather interesting trait among those who wield the blade…I merely saw a familiarity with another and offered to teach him some skills were her to be summoned into Chaldea."
"...I can handle those of my own lands. Your assistance is not needed."
She raised her eyebrow. "You never struck me as being possessive. Especially given the skill Artorias started to develop under my tutelage, surely you would understand that passing that experience onto this individual would only strengthen the position of Chaldea, for what reason would I possibly be denied?"
"Gwynevere." There was an edge in his voice, his jaw was clenched hard. "Do not push this further. Leave. Them. Be."
A hum, she made a show of thinking about it. "...No." She answered rather succinctly, offering him a charming smile as she did so. "I believe I shall not, in fact he was rather pleased with my offer of tutoring. Especially when I inferred I had a specialisation in teaching those of the off hand, I would say that he has the makings of being a fine warrior and a splendid knight…almost as though it was in his blood."
Trailing off, she kept her eyes on her brother, his arms now hanging by his side and his hands clenched into tight fists, any tighter and she was certain that he might end up bursting his skin. Wouldn't that be a rather unpleasant sight, he was truly getting so wound up over nothing. "A shame his father is unknown, but that is more his loss, isn't it?"
"Do. Not. Push. This."
Her expression blanked, the flicker of golden light around his knuckles as he took another step forwards. She saw the flash of lightning and took a step back, her eyes swinging between his own and his fists, she could see the flash of light. Her skin felt as though it was going to itch, she could see the lightning, the power of the miracles. She could already feel it on her skin, it was mere feet away.
Her back struck something solid, she jumped a little at the coldness of it all.
She jolted, he was no longer near her, instead he was standing some distance away, a strange look on his face as he moved back. Then briefly raised his own hands, looking between his own open fingers before he lowered them once more, turning his head rather swiftly from her direction.
"...I don't trust you near anything, Gwynevere." He spoke slowly, in a quiet tone of voice. "Not for an instant…I trusted you, trusted all of you, that you would be better. That you could care for one another without me and instead…" his head shook from side to side, he started to walk and moved right the way past her. "...I've seen your assistance, I will never allow you to be alone with him if he arrives."
"Why?"
She wasn't sure why she snapped, but the certainty with which he spoke vexed her deeply.
He stopped walking.
She advanced a single step. "I did exactly what I was supposed to, you've seen Caffrey, you've spoken with her. I raised her right and proper, as I was raised. She is a good and dutiful daughter…she alone is proof. Artorias is proof of my skill, for what reason would you not even trust me?"
He did not turn.
"The brunette human, the one who works alongside Ritsuka. What is her name?"
She blinked, her brows furrowed slightly. "Excuse me?"
"The human woman who works with Ritsuka, she had brunette hair, a rather energetic personality." He repeated once more, then finished. "What is her name?"
"I…" She frowned, this was a totally irrelevant question. "What does that matter?"
"Her name?" His focus on her name was becoming tiresome.
With a huff, she brought her shoulders up and down. "I don't know."
He turned, looking at her over his shoulder and with such a hollow look in his eyes, she took a step back from him at that expression. The look was so pitiful, but it was also so sad. So mourning, as though he had lost something so very precious.
"...I remember when you would chase down every single knight, every single servant, every single hand maiden…" He spoke after a single moment, turning his head upwards and staring at the ceiling, his hands brought themselves up and found purchase on his hips. "Not a single individual in the whole of Anor Londo was unknown to you, every single one of their names and you would go out of your way to strike up conversations with them regularly…I was utterly amazed at how you could do that."
A single noise, almost like a snort but rather shallow. "Not even I knew the names of every single soldier under my command, I tried…Flame knows I tried, but I was so envious that you could do that and I couldn't…"
She frowned. "What does this have to do with anything?"
"...Nothing at all, I suppose." His response was toneless, his hands dropped down from his hips and he started to walk away. "Nothing at all. I was the fool for bringing it up."
He departed in silence, with nothing more to say.
What a peculiar thing to think of? So what if she could not recall the name of a human, what did that truly matter? Why did he even bring it up in the first place? With a shake of her head, she turned away from the direction and continued her walk once more, she was feeling rather exasperated after that conversation.
It was as she entered the cafeteria that she felt it once more, rather she could smell it as well.
It briefly brought her to a halt, a pause as she sensed him like a star. All but certain he could sense her as well, all the same she carried herself forwards and towards the counter, moving silently and ignoring all else until she stood at the foot of it, looking into the kitchens with a curious stare.
She saw him instantly.
She froze.
She knew he was in here, she could sense he was in here.
But why was he there of all places?
Speaking with the peculiar little thing that had the features of an animal, she was sure she had been told the name at one point but it didn't truly matter, or that was what she initially believed. Yet her focus remained on the pair of them, he standing over the side, his posture loose and his attention fixed. All the while the animal woman was pointing to a series of kitchenware and speaking to him rather fiercely.
Fear and curiosity arose within her, their last encounter still fresh in her mind from when he had entered her room with a sword, his hostility and turn from sanity to madness. The agony on his face as he departed, all of it. He might have appeared sane now, but she knew better. She knew he was but a switch away from reverting.
But he was in the kitchens.
Why was he in the kitchens?
Her brows furrowed a touch, from the looks of it she would assume he was trying to learn how to cook. Or at least learn his way about the kitchen, but she wasn't quite sure why he would do something like that. She had never taught him something like that, she was certain he didn't even have an interest in something like that.
He shouldn't have had any interest in anything that did not relate to combat, he should not have had an interest in anything at all. His very being in the kitchens went against what she had instructed him. Sure, he knew how to hunt and survive but that was for life in the wilds, most certainly not how to prepare foods in a place such as this.
This was not a place of survival, it was a place of indulgence.
He should not be here.
Why was he there?
Her eyes remained on him, whether he noticed her or not, he seemed utterly focused on what was in front of him without so much as blinking as the woman spoke. Her hands tightened as she gripped them together, wetting her lips as she kept her gaze upon him. By all rights, she should have turned away and left before he saw her.
But he was there.
It was impossible.
Unless…had someone asked him to be there?
Yes, that would explain it. He was there because someone had asked him to-
A person stepped between them, blocking her line of sight with him as best as they could, her eyes flickered down from bright red hair and onto the cold blue eyes of the woman in white standing before her, she would certainly give them credit for being so bold. Especially as they seemed to be dressed in so little, but some humans were just like that.
"Can I help you with something?" They asked, her brief look over them ended as she rose her head up and glanced over the top of their head once more, getting a glimpse of the blonde mop of hair as it twitched briefly towards her before it stopped.
Bringing her hand up, she waved it to the side a little. "No, I believe I am quite alright for the moment."
The human didn't move, they didn't so much as budge a single inch. Perhaps she should have made it more clear to them, maybe her expectations had been long spoiled by those who had been able to interpret what she meant. Still keeping her eyes on the blonde mop of hair in the background, she waved her hand once more and leaned to the side to get a better look of what he was doing. "You do not need to attend me, I am merely examining-"
The woman stepped in the way of her view again, a very sudden and deliberate motion to prevent her from having a clear line of sight with Gawyn. Gwynevere gave a very slow blink as she turned her eyes onto the woman, then gradually raised a single eyebrow towards her. They kept silent, their expression portrayed next to nothing but even then, there was something in their eyes that was rather fierce, perhaps it was the strength of the coldness within them.
"...Perhaps there is some slight miscommunication between the two of us." She began slowly, as diplomatically as she could as she brought herself back to her original posture. "I do not require any assistance, and I would be appreciative if you could stand aside."
"Why?"
She blinked, rather caught by surprise by the tone the woman used. "Excuse me?"
"I asked why you want to see what Ash is doing?" The red headed woman asked once again, bringing her arms up and folding them under her chest, her eyes narrowed just a touch as she looked her up and down. "I'm not sure what sort of past you two have, and I'm not going to act on rumours alone, but I'd like to know why you're here just to focus on him…respectfully."
Gwynevere felt the frown come upon her lips as she stared down, they were a rather bold human to be sure.
"My past with him is for he and I to speak of and not for you to blunder in with so little knowledge." She answered quickly, then caught herself and loosened her posture. "However, I understand that you are merely trying to act on his behalf, I assure you that my interests are benign. All I wish to know is why he is in the kitchens."
The woman raised a brow, giving her a peculiar stare before she answered slowly. "Because he said he wanted to learn how to cook."
Gwynevere blinked.
She was certain she had heard incorrectly, the words bounced around in her mind. There was no mistake, she had not heard incorrectly. They had spoken so confidently that there was no room for error, but what they were saying did not make sense to her in the least.
"He wanted to learn? He was not asked to learn?"
The human looked at her as though she was the one who said something odd. "Yes? Ash asked to learn how to cook and asked if he could be taught, Tamamo-cat agreed to teach him and they've been at it ever since…a couple of blunders here and there but aside from that he's been making some slow progress."
An exhale, the human brought up her hand and rubbed at her temples. "Listen, if you're not here to eat anything then I would ask - respectfully - that you not hang around the counter. It's going to end up confusing the people who actually do want to eat something."
"It can be righted with a simple explanation." She replied evenly, moving her eyes between the redhead and Gawyn. The longer she looked, the less sense it made. She was drawn to it now, by all rights he should not have been here. There was no such thing as him wanting anything, he should not want anything more. He should have been content alone on duty. There should not be a single want in his entire being.
The woman had to have been mistaken.
No, the woman was mistaken.
There must have been something more to this. Something she did not see.
"Is something the matter here?" A voice suddenly cut in.
Gwynevere did not start, she had sensed their approach, so she turned to the new speaker and looked down at them. A blonde woman with braided hair and an aura of one of the clerics. Though she wasn't quite sure why they were giving her such a piercing look, she was certain they had met before. During the incident in the snows, the time where she had first met Chaldea.
The redhead sighed and gestured in her direction. "Nothing you really need to worry about, Jeanne…She's just confused that Ash wants to be in the kitchens is all…I suppose it would be a little strange if you knew him but that's all it is." they brought their shoulders up and down, as though nothing was the matter. "He just wants to learn how to cook."
"But he shouldn't." Gwynevere blurted out in a low tone of voice, unclasping her hands and leaning forwards, lowering her tone of voice. "The mere notion of him wanting to do anything is…he should not be-"
There was a clutter from within the kitchens, a clanging of metal against the ground.
The focus of them all shifted as one, their eyes turned further into the kitchen where they all saw him, standing with an open palm, a metal bowl rolling around on the ground by the base of his feet where it had been dropped.
She felt her breathing stop.
Gawyn was akin to a statue, looking right at her. His green eyes trembling the longer he stared, his arms started to twitch before they fell back down to his sides rather sharply, the movement made her flinch, only a little. But that was all he did, he stopped doing anything for the eternity of the next five seconds, not even a sound escaped him. He just ceased movement.
His gaze lingered on her, he opened his mouth as if to say something and then snapped his jaw closed, it shut tight and like that, he swiftly turned his head from her as nothing but a blur, his arms trembling. Then turning his back towards her, marching away from the counter and then further into the kitchens before disappearing around the back of one of the shelves.
The animal Servant looked just as bewildered by his actions, then turned in her direction and narrowed her orbs rather aggressively for a moment before taking off after Gawyn.
"E-excuse me." She stepped away from the counter, turning away from the group without giving them the chance to say anything. Moving as fast as she could without appearing panicked, strolling right through the doors and into the hallways once more.
Her mind was a mess of thoughts, she wasn't sure what had happened but she was certain that she did not understand it.
So distracted she was, that she very nearly walked right through the human who had been strolling around the corner, both of them stopping just shy of striking the other with their bodies. She halted her movements rather suddenly, taking a step back and looking down. "Apologies, my mind was elsewhere-"
Her eyes caught up with her.
Mash, that was the name of this human.
"Eh? Gwynevere-san?" The young human looked rather puzzled for a moment, then quickly shook her head from side to side. "Oh, no, that was my fault. I was distracted as well…" she trailed off, something about her being rather awkward. Gwynevere was still aware enough to notice the fact she wasn't meeting her eyes. "Were you just coming from the cafeteria?"
She paused for a moment, lowering her arms and nodding her head once. "I was just leaving…"
"Oh…I see."
Silence fell between the two of them.
"Were…you aware that Gawyn…" She paused, recalling the correction and then changing it. "Ash. Were you aware that he had decided to try his hand at cooking?"
A slow nod of the head was the response, the girl confirmed it without hesitating. "I'm not sure when it happened, I didn't know until that unfortunate incident with the fire but I'm…" she trailed off, her eyes still pointed downwards. "I'm glad that he is trying new things, it was a while before he was able to leave his room but I think it's good."
Something must have clicked in her head, her eyes briefly moved up towards her and shone with innocent confusion. "Did…did you see him in the cafeteria? Is that why you were in a rush to leave?" another wince. "I'm sorry if that seemed like a personal thing to ask, it was just that you were in a rush and I know that neither of you are…"
Gwynevere thinned her lips. "I was simply…not prepared for seeing him in such a place. I was surprised by it, though perhaps I shall grow accustomed to the urges he has to branch away from his original purpose…" her thoughts trailed off, turning her head and once more looking over her shoulder from the direction she had come from. She wasn't sure how far she had walked, only that her mind had wandered with her body. In truth, whether she believed her own words was another matter entirely.
"...What do you think of it?" She asked rather suddenly, turning her focus back onto the young girl before her and tilting her head. "His sudden desire to cook? You claimed it to be a good thing, why is that?"
Mash paused for a second, looking as though she didn't know how to respond. "I-I'm not sure I understand what you mean…I think it's good because Ash is doing something that isn't…" she brought her hands up, placing them together and tapping her fingers across her knuckles. "He never looked as though he was having fun so if he's doing something like cooking and trying new things, then that means he's trying to have fun…a-at least that's what Doctor Roman said. That we try new things when we're bored."
She was familiar with the concept in principle, but it was on a grander scale with her. "I believe it is the action of moving onto something new when you can develop it no further." At least that is what she assumed the young girl meant, it would seem that the advice of this 'doctor' was rather lacking in specifics, even if it was rooted in sense.
"I don't know about that, but he said that it was important for people to have a hobby." Mash brought her shoulders up and down, though her posture remained rather tense, it seemed as though it was loosening only a little. A strange look flickered across her face for a second, she muttered something under her breath. "But he only says that when trying to excuse Magi*Mari, so I do not know how much of it is actually genuine advice or not."
It sounded as though this man had something of an obsession.
Gwynevere interlocked her fingers together. "What of you?"
Mash blinked, then looked up at her once more, this time she did not turn her eyes away. "What do you mean?"
"Do you have something that is your personal interest?" She inquired further, inclining her head to the side. "You are the Servant of the young human but at the same time, I am curious…what is it you do when you are not with him? Is it training that occupies your spare hours or is it something more?"
The girl looked hesitant to reply, when she did it was rather quiet. "I like to read but…I don't have too many other interests. I mean there are activities that I do when I am not preparing for a Singularity but I do most of those with Senpai, if you mean by myself then I read…it's very…I like reading."
Was that all she did?
That seemed as though it was…such a waste.
"I am not one to chide you for an interest in literature, especially for how young you are, but are you truly so…" The right word did not come to her immediately, she thought only for a moment before she found it. "...tied to your Master when it comes to activities?"
Furrowed brows, that was the response she got, clear confusion from the human as to what she actually meant.
She hummed from the back of her throat. "Is your Master truly the catalyst for anything that you might do in your spare time? I understand you are indeed his Servant but having seen the others, they all have their own little interests…their own ways of passing the hours that do not relate to being at his command, much like with the other humans. Indeed, they all work towards the same goal but…outside of that, they are individuals."
"Ah, I…" Mash shook her head from side to side. "I'm not sure I know all that much about that sort of thing, Gwynevere-san. Most of what I know comes from the books I've read, I spent my life in Chaldea so I never really got the chance to get out…But I'm fine with that. So long as I can be Senpai's Servant-"
That sounded rather limiting.
So very limiting.
So very wasteful too.
All this potential, all she could be, devoted towards a single goal.
So few interests beyond it.
And she was under the impression they were so against what Gawyn was and here they were with another of his sort, right in front of them. Oh, she had more personality than he did and she was without the influence, but the end result was similar. Made for such a single purpose. How hypocritical of them, but they were humans, prone to such mistakes as they were, at times like these it was why they needed guidance.
Gawyn was made under dire circumstances and not something she would have done normally, it was truly a desperate situation which called for him and Gundyr.
She had seen no such situation where the existence of Mash could be excused, such wasted potential as these humans, squandering their young like this.
"I see." She straightened herself out, coming to a single thought before she smiled down at the young girl. "In that case, might I invite you to walk with me?"
Mash blinked at her in surprise "Eh? But…why?"
A hum. "For no reason at all, I've just come to a desire to take a stroll and I would like for you to accompany me. Perhaps we might discuss something as we walk but for the most part, I believe I would find your company for a simple walk rather pleasing…unless you're against it?"
"Well, I'm not against it…" Mash replied slowly, thinning her lips. "I was just surprised is all but…"
"You can speak to me of the books you like." She added on. "I know so little of the culture of this world and you would be far more well read than me…" she paused for a moment, then brought her finger towards her chin and tilted her head. The meaning of the title was known to her, a saying from the far east, one that denoted a superior in something. "I would say that when it comes to experience in this world…you would be my Senpai."
Mash made a rather adorable little squeak, a tinge of red coming upon her cheeks. "M-me? But I-I couldn't really be the S-Senpai, I…uhm…"
"You know - more than I - that it meets the definition, does it not?"
"We-well yes but-"
"Well, Mash-Senpai? Would you do me the courtesy of going for a walk?"
"I-if you insist…" Mash replied after a second, nodding her head up and down, whispering lightly under her breath. "Me…the Senpai…"
Gwynevere allowed a gentle smile to come upon her face as she stared down at the young girl, indeed. There was much potential there and it would be a true crime if she allowed it to be squandered, and it would give her something to focus on while she was here. A little project of hers, just to prove that she was indeed capable of it. That she was indeed more than the mistake of Gawyn.
If his life had proven anything, it was that raising them for a single purpose could just as easily backfire if it went wrong. Really, that was another case of waste as well.
