By the Bonfire: Family (Part I)
"Seriously? We have nothing?"
"I'm not sure what else I have to tell you about it, Fujimaru-kun." Romani spoke as he shrugged his shoulders in a helpless manner, the face he wore didn't do much to dissuade Ritsuka of the notion that the doctor really did have no idea. "I'm not much of an expert when it comes to Servants in the first place but dealing with extra-classes is really way outside of my area of expertise."
"I know but…" Ritsuka exhaled as the pair of them continued on their walk to the summoning chamber, he'd made it clear he was going there at some point during the day and decided that this was the best time for him, Romani might have raised a point about him getting better but he just kept staring at the doctor until he agreed to let him go with the condition that he would accompany him, especially as he was still technically supposed to be recovering. "Still, just by the class name alone, it doesn't sound very good, does it?"
Romani frowned, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "The best person to ask about it would be the person himself, wouldn't it? Then again…if Ash doesn't know anything about it either then there's not really a lot we can do about it." bringing up his hand, he rubbed his forehead. "Conventional Holy Grail Wars are conducted with the seven knight classes. That's how they are supposed to work and that's how it did work in the past. There were no other classes. You wouldn't believe the mess we were having back here trying to analyse the 'Foreigner' Servant you encountered."
Ritsuka paused for a brief moment before it came back to him, the strange victorian era looking guy who seemed to be rather distant and looked like he was out of sorts for most of the time they spent together. Short as it was, he didn't seem very personable but he didn't seem like a bad guy either. Also like he was talking with someone else, getting freaked out towards Fou was also a little weird. "Really? Was there something wrong with Lucien?"
The doctor made a small noise as he shook his head "The real problem is, what wasn't the matter with him. The moment we tried to analyse his class, the entire system just glitched out. It refused to give us anything on his parameters or even the registry of his Saint Graph." turning to face him, Romani pulled his expression into a heavy grimace. "That does not just happen, Fujimaru-kun. Even Leo was stumped with it when it first happened and nothing she has done has even made headway into getting anything from him. The best she could come up with was that something was actively keeping us from scanning him but whatever it was…"
He shook his head from side to side, blowing out air from behind his teeth. "Whatever it was, it just completely turned the tables on us to the point where it was like a big steel wall."
Raising an eyebrow, Ritsuka looked the doctor up and down for a moment before turning his head to face straight onwards. From the way that Romani talked about it, this sounded like the sort of thing that people would be making a big deal out of, especially because from the sounds of things this didn't just happen. Anything that could stop them from getting a reading on a Servant had to be a serious problem but the Director hadn't so much as mentioned it once. "So…how come I'm hearing about this now?"
Romani shrugged "Because it's one of those things that we really can't do anything about." he brought up his hands. "And I mean that on the whole we cannot do anything about it. This isn't like me saying this, Leo spent days looking over everything, pouring over all the data, and then she just turned around, shrugged her shoulders and said 'I got nothing'." lowering his hands, he shrugged once again. "Basically…putting more effort into something we can't change is just a waste of resources, especially when there are other things we can change."
"But Ash isn't like that?"
Thankfully, the man shook his head from side to side, his expression loosening ever so slightly as he did so. "No, he isn't. Since you made a contract with him again, we finally got a full reading on all of his parameters and we've got a hallmark for whatever the 'Avenger' Class is all about. Though we've still got nothing for the other Class he briefly showed up as for us but getting more info on that…well, Ash probably doesn't know either so for the time being we're putting that down as an 'Unknown' and leaving it as that."
With a grunt and a nod of the head, Ritsuka let the matter slide as if even Da Vinci had little information to work off with the months she had of trying to figure everything out, then there was probably nothing that he could really do and worrying about something that might or might not happen was just going to stress him out more.
He heard the doctor clear his throat, glancing to the side and watching the man lower the fist from the front of his face as he spoke. "On the topic of Servants…an extra day or so of rest-"
"Roman…" The pair of them stopped walking, Ritsuka let out a short sigh before he turned his head and looked straight towards the doctor, staring directly into his eyes before he dropped his shoulders and felt the tension flee from his face. He'd been keeping himself upright since he got out of his early morning meetings but the truth was that he was just tired. The day had barely begun and he already felt sapped of all his energy. "I could just really do with a win today. Just one win. Let me have this."
Romani regarded him with a silent stare for a good few seconds, thinning his lips and slowly scrunching up his face with obvious discomfort the longer the two of them looked at one another. Perhaps after the tenth second, the doctor let out an explosive sigh as he turned his head away, muttering something about a look being illegal or something. "Alright, alright…I'll just. I mean, it's still going to be me who takes the fall anyway if you end up putting yourself to sleep with all this moving around, you know that, right?"
Waving his hand from side to side, Ritsuka shook his head at the doctor. "I'll tell the Director I just forced you into it…which I did." he mumbled quietly to himself with a pointed stare aimed at the man for a good few seconds, then resumed walking. "She'd probably accept that with a small reminder for you to grow a backbone or something like that but would then let it slide. She's very reasonable when it comes to this sort of thing."
He heard the man let out a noise of incredulity behind him, not insulting disbelief more along the lines of innocent confusion. Pausing, he spared a glance over his shoulder and was treated to the sight of Romani looking as though he'd just seen a pig walk across the ceiling of a room or something, upper lips pulled up and his brows halfway up his forehead, the befuddled expression lasted a few more seconds before he shook his head and wiped the look off. "Do we…are we talking about the same person here?"
"We both know she cares."
"Well…yes, but I'd never say she was liable to let this sort of thing slide." Romani pointed out with a raised eyebrow, following after him with a frown. "More to the point, if you accept she's so reasonable then maybe you should listen to her advice about taking it-"
Ritsuka stared at him, he fell silent and flattened his features, bringing his hands up in surrender and shaking his head from side to side.
"Look, I'm just saying that she's going to find out and when she does-"
"When she does, she's going to be disappointed and thoroughly unsurprised." The pair of them stopped walking as the voice echoed out from behind them. Ritsuka suppressed a wince at the utterly flat tone that was used, a brief glance to his right showed that Romani didn't even bother, squeezing his face as though he'd just sucked on a lemon. The both of them gradually turned around and cringed even harder, not only finding themselves staring at the Director, but also at Stahl who was standing behind her.
There was a minor trait of amusement in the fact the larger Berserker had mirrored the Director's posture perfectly. The pair of them with their arms folded over their chests and their heads turning from one to the other in perfect sync.
Gradually, Olga unfolded her arms - something Stahl matched - and placed her hands on her hips, tapping her foot on the ground as the mask-like expression remained painted on her face. Amber coloured eyes lingered on Romani for a good few seconds before they fell onto him, something passed through her face before she eventually spoke. "I assume that your discussions with Ash and the two Goddesses went well."
Ritsuka mutely nodded his head, then paused for a moment before a faint smile came onto his features. "Yeah…Velka said you slapped her."
The comment seemed to put the Director on the backfoot for half a second, her eyes briefly widening as a touch of red danced onto her cheeks, quickly turning her head away from him and bringing up her left hand, coughing twice into her fist before clearing her throat. "Y-yes, that is to say…I…I might have become angered in the heat of the moment and acted rather rashly."
"...Did it make you feel better, at least?" He paused for a moment, then glanced at her hands. "Hope you didn't hurt yourself." Being told all about how sturdy Servants were, and having seen it in person, he imagined that striking one would not have been a very pleasant experience. If, for whatever reason, he struck a Servant he imagined breaking his wrist before he ended up doing anything to them.
The Director grimaced for a brief second, then she shook her head "It was a rather foolish act and beneath me. Though…no, we're not going to talk about whether or not I felt good about hitting the idi-the Servant."
She was definitely about to call Velka an idiot, correcting herself at the last second without so much as blinking. The move went about as unnoticed as it was expected, Ritsuka glanced in the direction of Romani at the same time he did much the same, the two of them briefly locking eyes and confirmed to one another that she had been about to call the Goddess an idiot.
"This is about you being reckless." The words of the Director brought them back into the present, their eyes snapping to her as one as she levelled the pair of them with an unimpressed look. Pointing first to Romani. "Considering you were the one who agreed that he should take things easier while he recovers, I am more surprised that you so quickly lost your air of responsibility and folded like a summer chair-"
Ritsuka snorted, quickly covering his mouth to hide the amusement bubbling within him, even Romani himself looked flummoxed by the comparison, not even looking offended and caught somewhere between amusement and shock at the fact she had just said that to his face.
Though the mirth he felt quickly faded when the eyes of the Director snapped onto him with clear disappointment in them. "As for you…While I might understand your desire to return your Servants back to life as well as bolster our diminished forces…there is such a thing as pushing oneself too far. You will end up causing more harm than good if your desire to bring your Servants back ends up like this."
She waved a hand to him, gesturing to him as a whole. "I severely doubt your Servants will be pleased when they answer your summons and find you looking as though you've been pulled straight from your bed, bags under your eyes and an air about you that makes it clear you're barely a minute away from falling to the floor and slipping into unconsciousness." her eyes narrowed as her hand fell back to her hips as she leaned forwards.
His eyes briefly glanced towards Stahl as they mimicked the gesture with a faint creaking of metal, though it seemed as though the Director didn't quite realise what was going on, if she did she didn't care that much and was more focused on him.
Her eyes remained locked onto his, seconds of silence passed between the two of them before her posture started to loosen, straightening herself out and flattening her lips with a shake of her head. "Though, I doubt you will listen to me given that my orders are seemingly being taken as suggestions once again. So…" she waved her hand to him as though to shoo him away. "Carry on then, though I expect you to depart the instant you feel tired. So help me, I will find a way to keep you trapped in that medical office until you are fully healed if I find out that you ended up putting more strain on your body. Understand?"
He smiled, not that he could really help it, and nodded his head up and down. "Absolutely, Director."
"Good." Seemingly content, she gave a single nod of the head and allowed the confident looking curl of the lips to form on her face once more. He stifled a chuckle when Stahl mimicked the nod of the head, this time it didn't pass the notice of the Director as she narrowed her eyes at him. Though they soon darted to the side, her head whirled around in the exact fashion that Stahl did as well, the both of them looking over their shoulder and up.
Ritsuka was confident that someone could have heard a pin drop in the ensuing silence, a hand found itself upon his shoulder, slowly pulling him backwards, he sent a bemused glance to Romani as the doctor started to retreat with him in toe, a look on his face as though they were trying not to spook something.
When he heard the voice of the Director, he immediately figured it out.
"How long were you watching them do that?" The calm in her tone of voice made him wince, coupled with the fact she was still staring at the Berserker, her arms held by her side. Neither he nor Romani gave an answer to her, for Ritsuka it felt like one of those situations where a cat lay down in front of him and displayed its belly. Daring you to try and touch it, yet the moment you did the cat would snap. This was one of those situations. "How. Long?"
The Director slowly turned around to face the two of them, it was at that point Ritsuka realised why she sounded so calm. It was because she was funnelling all of the embarrassed anger into her eyes, a faint colouration of red on her cheeks that was growing brighter by the second. The furious amber orbs glowered at the pair of them, virtually rooting them on the spot as she stood a single step forwards, hands clenched into fists. "Why aren't either of you answering me?"
"...Run!" Romani bellowed out in a panic, scrambling away from him and taking off down the hallway, acting on instinct he immediately booked it after the doctor. It was then he heard what virtually sounded like a battle cry followed briefly by the patter of footsteps and then by the rumbling crashes of what he imagined as Stahl chasing after them.
"Stop running, Fujimaru!" The Director's voice echoed from behind him "You're supposed to be recovering! Stop running!"
"Sorry Director! My hearing hasn't recovered yet! I didn't catch that!" He blurted out in a panic, briefly catching a glimpse of Romani looking over his shoulder from ahead of him and virtually paling as he increased his speed. Naturally it didn't last long before he started to slow down, the pair of them catching sight of the elevator at the end of the hall.
Putting all his effort into the run, he threw himself forwards just as the doors started to open, a woman with what seemed to be brightly coloured violet hair that looked like glitter stood in the lift with papers in her hands, she took a single step forwards and then froze on the spot when she caught sight of what must have been the terrifying sight of himself and Romani charging towards her with a large metal Servant and a furious Director chasing them down.
"Hold the lift!" Ritsuka panic shouted as he ran behind Romani and then have him a mighty shove forwards, the woman made a noise as she threw herself to the side as the doctor was flung into the lift, just out of the way of the impact as the strawberry haired man collided with the wall with a muffled groan. Ritsuka mentally reminded himself to apologise later as he jumped in after the man, swinging his hand around and slamming his fingers into the buttons repeatedly.
"Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!" He repeated to himself as he mashed at the button, sparing a glance down the hallways and then blanching as he watched the Director barely a few metres from them, thankfully, she was in front which meant that Stahl couldn't overtake her, amber eyes instantly landing on the hand that was mashing the buttons before a shout ripped itself free of her throat.
"Don't you da-"
The lift doors closed on her with her hand outstretched towards him, a rumble sounded out as the lift started to move.
A shuddering breath escaped him as he leaned forwards, panting in and out before a half crazed laughter escaped from him. He wasn't alone in that, a few seconds later he heard a wheezing noise coming from somewhere else, turning his head towards Romani similarly hunched over with his hand covering his face. "W-we're really gonna regret that later, aren't we?" the doctor got out inbetween chuckles.
"Oh yeah…" Ritsuka didn't even deny it "Sorry about the push."
"Don't worry about it." Romani waved his hand dismissively, rising back up to his full height and coughing a few times, falling back onto the wall and continuing to breath in and out before his eyes landed on the other person in the lift, Ritsuka similarly glanced over and watched as the woman looked between the two of them, wearing an orange coloured uniform with black sleeves.
"...Hi." Ritsuka brought his hand up, giving the best smile he could which probably looked a little weird, given how he could feel trickles of sweat moving down his brow. Hoping he didn't start to smell too badly, given that he probably hadn't been cleaned in over four days now, the idea of a shower had virtually escaped him. "...I'm Ritsuka."
She probably knew that.
"...I know." The woman responded after a few seconds, giving him a look as though he had said something stupid, then slowly trailed her eyes towards the door of the lift and stared at it in silence for a good few seconds. "...The Director seemed upset."
"Yeah…Her Servant was copying all of her actions from behind and she probably got a bit embarrassed we didn't tell her about it."
The woman closed her eyes and almost looked as though she was cringing. "...That was not an invitation to tell me, because now I am going to be implicated as well." she brought her hand up, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Ritsuka felt himself wince at the reaction which was clearly a rather negative one all things considered. Eventually, she brought up the flat of her hand towards him and then spoke again. "So long as it doesn't interfere with my job, it has little consequence…This also serves as our first meeting."
"Y-yeah." He latched onto the change of topic rather quickly, straightening himself out and smiling at the woman as friendly as he could manage, getting his breathing back under control and looking less like a panting dog. Silence reigned between the three of them in the lift, he found himself staring at the silent woman for a length of time that quickly surpassed being awkward, sparing a glance towards Romani and watching the doctor look more confused than anything else.
"Is something the matter?" The doctor asked with a bit of worry leaking into his voice. "You're looking a bit distracted."
"Aside from the fact that my first encounter with the our actual field operative was himself and the medical officer flinging themselves into an elevator while being pursued by a rather aggrieved looking Director?" The woman rattled off in a rather dry sounding tone of voice, bringing up her right eyebrow and turning her attention towards the doctor, who was now looking suitably cowed. "I would suggest that this is not an encounter I can quickly recover from…However, it would not do to neglect basic courtesy. I am the Records Keeper of Chaldea, my name is Cerejeira Elron."
She directed the latter part towards him, giving a slight incline of her head in greeting as she did so. "It is my responsibility to ensure that every encounter within the Singularities is documented and accounted for when they are all submitted." There was a brief moment before her eye twitched. "...Which includes the less than…sensible occurrences."
Ritsuka winced.
"Or amaetur book reports conducted by medical officers that I have to fact check to ensure they are accurate."
Romani winced.
"And am now in charge of assembling an encyclopaedia of an entire worlds history, the likes of which is scattered and the only available sources to actually aid in the creation of it are as varied as they are objectively biased." She flashed the pair a small smile. "The latest is looking to consume much of my time thus far, so I trust you will forgive me if my manners are somewhat lacking at the moment."
"Oh, yeah." She blinked once as he nodded his head back to her. "Sounds like you've got a rather tough job. But…thanks for all your hard work." he paused again before giving her a thumbs up. "If you have any problems with some of the Servants and the travelogue, please don't hesitate to let me know."
She blinked several more times. "I…I doubt it shall come to that."
Clearing his throat, he nodded his head several more times. "Well, all the same. Nice to meet you, Elron. Also…uhm…sorry if the Director gives you a hard time later." he cringed ever so slightly before shaking his head. "But she probably won't. But if she does, sorry. I'll pay you back if something happens."
"P-pay me ba-what are you even talking about?" Elron squinted at him with clear bemusement "What would you even be capable of doing?"
That was a very good point and he wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to answer that at the moment. He settled for giving her an unblinking stare, briefly glancing towards Romani and then back to her before flashing a toothy smile and shrugging his shoulders. Keeping up as positive an attitude as he could. "...Sure I'd think of something. Eventually. Tell Siegward to give you priority on the menu for a week or something?"
Elron looked rather confused at him, leaning back and then pinching her brows together. "Did…is this some manner of elaborate joke?"
"No?" He raised an eyebrow "I mean…at which part would the joke begin? Because I don't think the Director would go along with something like this." pausing for a second, he added on. "Not saying she wouldn't because she did agree to the Nerofest thing but-"
The woman brought up her hand "The…the thought is appreciated. I…would merely prefer that you not spawn an issue from this minor inconvenience. It is my job and I have come to expect harsh deadlines at this point in time." lowering her hand, she glanced towards the doors of the lift as they opened. "Besides…I believe this is your stop."
And so it was.
"Right, right. Well. Nice to meet you!" He waved to her as he stepped out of the lift, Romani following after him with a faint smile on his lips and a glimmer of confusion in his eyes but otherwise looking a touch mirthful. "Good luck with the record keeping. Hope to read up on them some time!"
The odd look remained on Elron's face as the doors closed, Ritsuka lowered his arm and nodded his head up and down, then turned to the doctor. Romani had a single eyebrow raised and his hands on his hips. The expression he was making was difficult to pin down, somewhere between suspicious and slightly pitying. "Not to…er…not to gossip or anything but I hear that she's quite close with Francis."
Ritsuka paused for a moment, the name sounded familiar before he snapped his fingers. "The guy who tends the bar?" he felt a bit of joy surge through him, a smile coming upon his features. "That's great. How long has that been a thing?"
Romani blinked "What? No-no! I'm just saying she looks close, that wasn't-that wasn't an invitation to start meddling!" the man looked positively scandalised. "I was just saying something because you looked…uhm…really friendly with her?"
Really friendly?
Did Romani seriously think-?
"I wasn't flirting with her." Folding his arms over his chest, he levelled a flat look at the doctor. "I was just being friendly. There is a big difference."
"I get that, I get that!" Romani hastily brought up his hands as though to surrender, a slightly panicked look on his face for a few seconds. "Sorry, I just…I mean, you can understand how…I mean, from the outside it looked like…to me it seemed as though…" he slowly got quieter and quieter as time went on, eventually lowering his head and bringing his left hand up to rub the back of his head, quietly humming to himself.
"...Uh huh." Slowly raising an eyebrow, he looked at the face of the doctor for a few moments before he shook his head. "Still though, how come I'm only hearing about this now though?" he pondered aloud, drawing a look from the doctor. "I mean…you don't seem like the sort of guy who would be aware of something like this, no offence."
Romani shrugged "No, I get it. Just that it's not really something that is a really big secret." that sounded even worse, was he seriously the only one who had literally zero idea about what was going on? He felt pretty guilty that all of this was going on and he didn't even know about any of it. "Anyone who's ever seen those two interact for more than two minutes can tell there's something between them."
The doctor gave him the door, all he needed to do was open it.
"Ah, you mean like you and Da Vinci?"
"Exactly, like me and Le-" He caught on a second later to what he had just said, his jaw snapping shut with an audible click and his head whirling onto him a moment just after that, his eyes very nearly looking as though they were going to bug out of his skull. Ritsuka rolled his lips inwards to muffle a laughter at the expression the man had made, quickly turning away from him and accelerating his pace into a fast walk to put as much distance between himself and the doctor as he could before he realised what had happened.
"No! Not like me and Leo-I mean me and Da Vinci!" The doctor squawked from behind him, his mortified voice echoing through the hallways soon followed by rapid footsteps as the man jogged after him.
This only served for him to increase his pace, this time not even bothering to contain his laughter as he started to run through the halls, speaking amidst his cackling as he did. "Whatever you say, Romantic Archaman!"
"No! Fujimaru-kun! It's not like that!"
It might have been a little cheeky of him to do this, but it was something that just helped him forget about everything else.
With the benefit of hindsight, he really should have seen this as an eventuality when the both of them eventually arrived at the summoning chamber. Especially considering he had invited Mash to come up - mainly because it was sort of a staple that she be present at this point in time and they did sort of need her there - so it was basically his own fault they were in this situation in the first place.
Considering that when he had arrived, both himself and Romani had virtually tripped over one another to get into the room, the pair of them sweating and panting like they had run a marathon, considering he was supposed to be recovering and Romani was supposed to have been looking after him, he didn't really blame her that much on account of getting a bit annoyed at the two of them.
It actually felt much worse than when they had been caught by the Director, her getting annoyed at him felt natural, Mash getting annoyed at him felt wrong. Like a sense of guilt she instilled in him when she gave him those 'I'm not mad, just very disappointed' eyes because he knew she was just looking out for him. It was probably worse for Romani, especially given the face he was currently holding.
"Senpai!" He jerked his head away from the direction of the doctor at the slightly raised voice of Mash, wincing as he did so and then gradually aiming his eyes upwards towards her once more, having lowered his head the moment she had glowered at the both of them with clear disappointment. Her expression remained much the same, disapproving frown and her single visible eye holding clear sadness and concern within it. "I am sorry for shouting, Senpai but you and Doctor Roman were being much too reckless."
Holding her hands by her side, she swung her arms back and forth "I know you're very eager to get everyone back and I'm on board with that." she hastily added on with a smile. "I want to have them all back as well, but you shouldn't rush yourself and charging through the halls like you and the Doctor were doing, especially when you should know better…" she trailed off, glancing to the side with a troubled frown. "It…I don't want to see you back in the infirmary, Senpai."
He nodded his head up and down. "I know…I'm sorry for worrying you, Mash."
"Y-yeah…" Romani tacked onto the end of his apology with a similarly sombre looking expression. "I should have known better as well and put my foot down with Fujimaru-kun. You're right."
The girl took in a quick breath before she looked between the two of them, though the disappointment was still visible, it had already started to fade and was replaced by relief, the corners of her lips twitching upwards into a smile. "As long as you both understand. I hope I wasn't being too out of line…"
Waving his hand from side to side, Ritsuka shook his head. "No, you…you were right."
"Okay." The girl nodded her head one more time, then a brief flicker of emotions danced through her eyes, the confident posture she had before shifted almost instantly into being a bit more nervous, bringing her hands up and pressing the tips of his fingers against each other as her eyes lingered on him. When she spoke, it lacked all of the previous strength, her tone being a mix of hesitation and uncertainty. "If it isn't too much trouble, Senpai…I know you spoke with Ash-san and Gwynevere-san…are they-?"
"They're both staying for the time being, yeah." He felt his previous good mood start to evaporate, he tried his best not to let it show on his face but he knew for a fact he had failed the moment the two names had been mentioned. A good thing she didn't also include Velka in that list because otherwise he probably would have just inverted his expression instantly. "Ash is…Ash is in a bad place right now and we do need Gwynevere's help on account of being an actual healing Goddess and all that. Just…a very emotionally taxing morning is all."
Mash visibly winced as she looked down at her hands for a few seconds.
Ritsuka frowned to himself, seeing her like this wasn't what he wanted. The last thing he would like to see right now was his sour mood spreading around Chaldea like a plague, especially when they were about to go through something like this.
"Hey…" Dropping his voice into a softer tone, he took a single step forwards, bringing his right arm out and placing it on the upper arm of the girl opposite him. "It's not your fault. Even if you didn't bring it up, I'd have still probably told you anyway. Ash is…he's been through a lot and it's going to be a while before we get back to how things were. As for Gwynevere…"
He didn't know where to even begin with that, everything she said in regards to Gwyn sounded eerily familiar to how Ash described her just without the abject hatred. The implications didn't sit right with him, especially given how Gwynevere thought that was how children were supposed to be raised and didn't see a problem. It painted a very ugly picture for what Gwyn was like as a father and he'd met Velka. The woman who would literally use her own grandchildren as fodder for some grand scheme. With parents like that, it was a wonder that anyone would walk away without something wrong with them.
"...I'm sure that Gwynevere will probably do something decent in the future." It was a tragically low bar to pass but he really didn't want to start off with hating people. He'd felt what that sort of pure hatred was like, courtesy of Seath's little tantrums in his mind. That hatred was just…all consuming. A disturbing purity to it that he couldn't describe with words. Just a feeling of…completion. A perfect hatred that one felt no guilt in feeling. He didn't want to feel that ever again.
That didn't mean he had to like her though.
"Okay?" He leaned to the side to get a better look at Mash's face, then offered her a faint smile. "Besides, this is supposed to be a happy time. Getting back everyone we lost, right?" he kept staring at her until she nodded her head up and down, briefly glancing towards her face. He watched as her lips twitched for a few seconds, then the smile slowly spread across her own lips. "There we go."
Turning away from her, he briefly found his attention occupied by the look that Romani was giving him. It wasn't the sort of look that he had ever really seen on the doctor, the green eyes of the man slid from him and then to Mash several times. What really, truly, struck Ritsuka was the complete and total lack of emotion on the face of the man. Something he could only describe as eerie. Like he was looking at a printed off face of Romani slapped onto someone. The uncanny valley or something like that, he was actually starting to get a bit creeped out by it the longer it went on.
He quickly looked at the distance between himself and Mash, then took a single step away from her and returned his attention to the doctor. Who was back to wearing his usual expression, not even the slightest hint that there had been anything the matter with him moments earlier. He privately knew that Romani had protective feelings for Mash but he didn't quite think they went this far. It was like he was standing in front of her father or something…actually, what was the connection between Romani and Mash anyway? Because it did seem rather close.
…Well, if they were close then he wasn't going to start prying, especially if neither one of them had told him about it yet. They would tell him when they were ready or if it came up again, for now he made a private note to watch how he behaved around Mash just in case he triggered another Romani mask or something.
"I'll head into the operation room and then record the readings for you." Romani spoke from behind him, the footsteps of the doctor were accompanied by the sound of a hissing door and a short interval of silence. Though it did not last long before the voice of the man echoed out around him, originating from the intercom built into the wall. "Alright, starting everything up and it all looks pretty good so far, Fujimaru-kun. I guess it's just whenever you are ready."
He was ready from the moment he woke up.
Taking a step past Mash towards the summoning plate, he looked down at the holographic illustration of Mash's shield on the ground and then back to the plate. Extending his hand towards it and closing his eyes, feeling the familiar burn of his Command Seals, not activating anything as much as he was just sending out the little signal for his Servants to come back, his mind focused on the ones he lost.
Through his closed eyes, he saw the burning of light and heard the thrumming of the summoning chamber being activated. Inwardly, he knew who the first Servant to return was going to be and to be totally honest, he was perfectly fine with indulging what was doubtless going to be a rather emotional return. The light started to die down, his eyes cracked open and revealed the diminutive shape of a certain Berserker.
Pale blue coloured kimono and teal coloured hair greeted him, the face of the girl was frozen for a few seconds as golden eyes locked onto him. The fan in her hand snapped shut a moment later. A small, barely audible, gasp escaped from her lips as she stared at him, her lower lip quivered for a few seconds though she had yet to say anything.
Lowering his hand, it was something as simple as seeing her face and her being alive and in front of him right now, but it was all he could think of at this moment. Everything else didn't matter, she was alive again and that was just it for him. That was really just him calling a victory. He could feel his lips pulling themselves into a smile that just seemed to get wider and wider, though Kiyohime surprisingly had very little to say so far, which was a surprise because he had expected her to say something. Perhaps it was just a case of-
"Gugh!?" A gasp rushed from him as he fell backwards, though did manage to catch himself at the last second, his head snapped downwards. It had been too quick for him to really register anything more than a pale blue torpedo before it impacted him, a tightness formed around his sides just under his ribs, his eyes locked onto the top of the teal coloured hair and the face buried in his chest. His arms remained in state of readiness for a few seconds, then slowly fell down to his side, the smile dimmed a bit but still remained present on his face.
Something sniffled, a warmth was spreading across his chest as the Berserker seemed to pull him tighter, her little hands clenching at his shirt at his back and adamantly refusing to let go. "Thank goodness…you're alright…" He could barely make out the muffled whisper, tinged with sniffles as the girl cried into his chest.
Ritsuka found himself briefly caught at a crossroads as to what to do next.
…Hell with it.
His right hand slowly brought itself up, then lowered his palm onto the top of the head of the girl, she stiffened for a brief moment at the contact, perhaps in surprise or something else, but she soon relaxed as he started to stroke her head, much like he would pet a cat but making sure to avoid catching himself on her horns. "Yeah…I'm alive, Kiyohime."
"...Yes…you are…"
"Sorr-"
She embraced him tighter, applying enough pressure to cut off his words. He was about to ask her to loosen his grip before he heard her speak again, a hardness in her voice that made him listen. "Please don't apologise for that, Anchin-sama…it was…Just don't apologise for it. It wasn't your fault and I won't hear of you trying to blame yourself for anything. Alright?"
He was about to answer when she spoke again.
"And do not lie, please."
He closed his mouth, then let out a soft sigh. "...I am a Master so it's technically my fault but-" he winced at the tightening sensation again, though thankfully it loosened after his next words. "-but…I'll try to be less hard on myself."
That was the best she was going to get out of him, and that was him being honest, there was always going to be an element of what he could have done differently after the fact, especially in regards to something like this and he knew what he could have done differently. Though him beating himself up over it wasn't going to change what happened in the end and would probably make things worse. The logical side of him accepted that at least…
Kiyohime did not immediately reply to him, though he did feel her grip around him loosen ever so slightly, followed by a faint sigh into his chest. Almost in slow motion, the Berserker unlatched herself from him and took a step backwards, the smile still on her face and the remnants of tears on her cheeks, he spared a glance to his chest and noted the faint wet patch. When his eyes glanced back to the girl in front of him, he internally cringed at how obvious he had been, judging by the slightly abashed blush on the face of the girl. "My apologies for that, Anchin-sama. I'll make sure to wash it thoroughly."
"I'm not gonna get mad at you for being emotional." He sniffed, wiping the underside of his eyes with his forearm, letting out a breath. Here he was getting emotional now because she had just been emotional as well. Like a chain reaction of sorts, casting a glance over his shoulder towards the window behind him, he watched as Romani offered him a single nod of the head after checking the computer, which likely meant they were ready to continue onwards.
Letting out a breath, he returned his eyes to the summoning pad, Kiyohime stepped around him and fell in line next to Mash, or so he assumed. A quick glance confirmed his belief in that, then brought his focus back to the summoning pad. Watching as the light flooded through the room once more, the familiar sensation of a contract being formed again pulsed through his right hand. The light started to die out, revealing the freshly returned Servant.
"Wow…back already?" The pink haired paladin of chaos, better known as Astolfo, sauntered forwards with a carefree grin on his face, his eyes tracking around the room before they landed on him, the smile on his face widened as his arms spread wide. "You're alright! I mean, I figured you would be but I was seriously concerned there right at the end!"
Ritsuka had barely a moment to think before Astolfo virtually launched himself at him with his arms spread wide, glomping him with a hug which trapped his arms at his side. Giggling to himself, Astolfo outright picked him up off the ground and started to spin around in a circle all while holding him up. "Man! That was seriously scary but I am over the moon, and I can say that with utmost sincerity, that you are looking a-okay! Seriously, Master! Glad that you called me back! I must have left one heck of an impression if you called back to me!"
"Well-"
"But that just makes me really touched, you know?" Astolfo came to a stop and then lowered him back down, pulling his arms back and taking a step away from him, then straightening his posture out and standing at attention. "Paladin Astolfo of King Charlemagne, at your service once again, Master!" the straight face vanished, a charming smirk replaced it and was accompanied by a wink. "Looking forward to living up to your expectations, Master!"
He blinked several times, then looked towards the others in the room. Mash had a rather curious look on her face but it was quickly replaced by a faint smile, probably accepting of what Astolfo was like. Really, he should have expected something like this from the Rider as well. Then his eyes tracked towards Kiyohime, who was sending an utterly blank stare towards the Rider who was blissfully ignorant to the attention he was receiving.
With a shake of his head, he chuckled under his breath and waved his hand to the Paladin. "Glad to have you back, Astolfo…look forward to working with you once again. I'll…I'll try and make sure…I mean next time won't be…" he stumbled over his words the longer he looked at him, the beaming face intermittent with the flash of fire before he vanished the last time they met. "...Next time will be different."
Astolfo stared at him for a few moments, blinked several times, then his features softened. "You try your best, Master. Just like I will. That's all anyone can really ask, so nothing to worry about in the future." he brought his hand up, jerking a thumb towards himself. "This Paladin is more than willing to put his life on the line, heck…it's not even a thought in my head."
Even if they said that…
Swallowing, he nodded to Romani once more time, the room flashed with light once more.
"Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr…." Lancelot, clad in the thick black cloud, stalked out of the light and came to a stop directly in front of him. He stared up at the burning crimson visor in silence, the only sound to be heard was the sharp whistle of wind from the Servants fog coat, the Berserker did not growl again, merely staring down at him for a few seconds, then slowly brought his head up and turned the visor elsewhere.
Slowly following the line of sight, Ritsuka blinked as he saw that Lancelot's gaze was firmly planted towards Mash, who looked rather bemused as to the sudden attention she was receiving. After a few seconds of silence, Ritsuka turned back to the Servant and opened his mouth to speak, but Lancelot beat him to the punch. "Baaaaaaa…" This croak was softer than the others and, strangely enough, sounded almost relieved.
Though he didn't get much of a chance to think on it further before Lancelot stepped around him and made for the door, Ritsuka followed his movements as he stepped out of the room and into the hallway, not even stopping to pay attention to the other Servants before he left. Slowly scrunching up his expression, he kept his gaze on the door for a few moments, then caught movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced at Astolfo, the Paladin similarly looking at the door before he shrugged his shoulders.
Another nod to Romani.
Light flashed once more.
"...Hey Jeanne."
"Hello, Master." The blonde stepped forwards, nodding her head to him once, her expression the perfect picture of stoicism. Though it did not last long before a gentle smile crossed over her face as she approached, the flag dissipated into nothing as she extended her hand towards him and took it into her own, bringing her other hand up and placing it on top of the limb and exhaling. "I am thankful to the Lord that you are unhurt."
"...This is getting unreal." He muttered to himself, earning a curious look from the woman as she released his hand, he brought his back and placed it on the back of his neck. "I'm still alive and you're the ones who died and…and everyone is just coming forwards and saying 'Thank goodness you're alright' as though something happened to me, it's just-"
"We perished long ago, Master." Jeanne spoke in a soft tone of voice as she looked at him, something about her tone captured his attention instantly. "We are only echoes of the past come to life, it is people like you, the living. They are the ones to be treasured…your affection for us is truly gratifying, but do not forget that the dead are just that. As such, though this might be a personal opinion, I will always value the safety of the living over my own."
He sniffled "Damn it." the whispered curse slipped from him before he even realised it, the cold pooling up in the corners of his eyes again. "Geez…you're gonna get me to start crying now or something…"
"There is no shame in shedding tears for your comrades."
"D-don't say something like that!" Ritsuka wheezed out with a shake of his head and an upturned lip "Then I really will cry."
Jeanne at least looked slightly apologetic but still maintained the lighthearted nature to her eyes, watching him for a few seconds in silence before her eyes drifted elsewhere, the smile remained on her face as she spoke. "And Mash, my relief extends to you as well. I am glad that you as well are here to greet me." She stepped towards the teeanger and stopped just in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder and nodding her head once.
"Y-yes…" Mash looked a little stumped before she recovered, then offered her own smile. "I'm happy to see you as well, Jeanne-san."
Romani started it up again.
The flash of light revealed the cloaked figure once again, hood pulled up and concealing the upper half of the face, the indigo coloured lips quirked down for a brief moment, then a slightly puzzled tone of voice rang out."You…called me back."
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow "Yeah…why wouldn't I?"
Medea did not answer him immediately, what had him confused was why she sounded so surprised, as though she had not expected to be summoned again at all. It was rather weird for him to see, all things considered and it made him feel a little strange. Just how did people view him in the first place? First he had to contend with people hiding from him out of fear they would be killed and now he was dealing with people who thought he would leave them high and dry. Was…was his impression really that bad.
"You're like an open book." He flinched at the exasperated tone of the Caster as she floated down towards him, slowly, she brought her hands up and then clasped at the edge of her hood, pulling it back and revealing her expression. The first thing Ritsuka found himself looking at were her pointed ears, though that was quickly overshadowed by the face of the woman herself. He would not be ashamed to admit he stared for longer than was probably polite but he was just rather…at awe as to how beautiful she was.
Medea raised an eyebrow at him after a few moments, her lip twitched ever so slightly before she spoke. "Once again, an open book."
He winced, though at least she didn't look particularly bothered by his blatant staring though he could now feel a burning pressure in the side of his head from where he assumed Kiyohime was now staring at him.
"Though, if you are going to willingly summon someone like me with the full knowledge of who I am…" She trailed off for a few seconds, an odd look passing across her face for a moment before it evened out. For a brief moment, it looked as though she was going to smile at him, but it was barely an instance and her face returned to looking cool and collected. "I can at least answer this level of trust you have placed in me. It seems as though we are to be contracted to one another once more, Master…I would ask you to warn me the next time we do battle with Gods."
He knew she was joking.
He really did.
But he couldn't help but grimace and look to the side, it wasn't like she was wrong but all the same, it was still fresh in his mind.
"Medea-san, is that really the sort of thing to be-"
"It is genuine advice." The Caster interrupted Mash "And…it would seem as though I underestimated the aftermath of the battle on Master." she muttered quietly, just loud enough for him to hear. It did make him feel a little better than she hadn't been intentionally trying to push his buttons but even still. For him it had only happened yesterday or near enough.
He brought his eyes back to Medea, a complicated expression on her face as she spoke further. "Though it seems that I misjudged the time and place for such remarks. I have the sense to apologise for that much…" she floated towards him before gradually lowering to the ground, the height difference between them was negligible at best, but just enough for him to notice it. The purple haired woman thinned her lips for a moment, then walked past him. "I will excuse myself, though I should ask what became of the God."
"He's alive." Grunting back to her, he watched her expression fall, which probably made what he was going to say next even worse. "He's being assisted by the Dragon who invented magic from his world."
"The dragon who invented-" Cutting herself off sharply, Medea's eyes narrowed and for a moment he thought she was going to make another comment, she visibly held herself back from doing so, closing her eyes and exhaling. "...I shall begin my own preparations then and will require a comprehensive understanding of the magic system they use if I am to even begin considering any sort of countermeasures against it…if one can even do such a thing against the equivalent of…no, not even the equivalent as this is magics from the Age of Gods, a being of greater mystery and skill than King Solomon." shaking her head from side to side, she advanced on the door. "I will return to my workshop, provided it is still there?"
"No one has been in your room."
"Good. They would have suffered if they had." She paused for a moment before elaborating. "I had several defensive spells layered around the entrance to deter the uninvited from entering."
"...Fair enough? Wait, hand on…how much would they have suffered?"
"Enough."
"That's not an answer."
"They would not have died."
"...Please don't start layering the magical equivalent of trip mines around Chaldea."
"...Fine. I shall make it less painful, should that make you more comfortable." The fact she sounded a little exasperated like she was dealing with a pushy kid sort of sent him on edge, but then again, apparently mages took their privacy very seriously. At least that's what the Director talked about during their lessons together. Without another word, the Caster stepped out of the room and disappeared down the hallway.
Ritsuka turned on Romani with a shrug of his shoulders, seeing the slightly alarmed face on the doctor which was most certainly a result of the news, though it quickly fell away into being less than surprising. He was concerned but not really shocked, then if even Romani suspected something like this, then it must have been one of those things that was common sense, or thereabouts. He privately noted the newfound importance of knocking on doors.
The light flashed again.
"Dear me, that was a real shock, eh?" Were the first words out of Arash's mouth as he rolled his shoulder, dissipating his bow and then fixing Ritsuka with a look after a moment. He was briefly stumped by the sudden serious look in the eyes of the tanned man as he stepped closer to him, soon leaning down and looking him dead in the eyes. Arash's lips thinned and his brows furrowed before his eyes closed and he leaned back, the easygoing smile returned as though he hadn't done anything.
"...Glad to see you're still alive, Master. I mean that too." He pointed squirrely towards him with the same smile. Then his eyes turned to the rest of the room, landing first on Kiyohime where his expression visibly brightened. "And I am pleased to see you here before me, little miss. I'd have been quite worried if I showed up and had managed to beat you to the punch, not that there was any doubt in my mind you'd be here first." bringing his arm back to his side, he placed it on his hip and cracked an almost teasing smile. "Ain't that right?"
Kiyohime didn't respond for a few seconds, then her lips turned into a rather bright smile. "I am pleased to see that my affection for Anchin-sama is noticed so clearly, you have rather keen eyes…and it is agreeable to see someone of good manners returned along with me as well. I would be saddened if Anchin-sama was lacking in reliable Servants."
"Haha!" Laughing rather boisterously, Arash stepped forwards and jerked a thumb towards Jeanne "I'd say I'm not alone in that category, right Jeanne?"
"I would like to think so." Jeanne replied with her own little cool smile "Though…I am certain that even some of the reliable Servants have their own brief moments of enthusiasm that might be considered…eccentric."
"No kidding."
Ritsuka felt his heart lighten at the banter, though it was intermingled with the bemusement of the situation. The sheer implausibility of it all. They were just laughing and joking as though nothing had happened. They all clearly remembered it and yet they didn't seem to be affected at all. Even if they all died before, that couldn't have been the only answer, surely. It wasn't like all deaths were the same.
"-ujimaru-kun?" He jumped at the echoing voice around him, glancing to the side and seeing Romani looking at him through the window, waving his hand with a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright? You're not feeling too tired, are you?"
"No, no…just a little…just a little emotional is all." Shaking his head from side to side, he wiped the underside of his nose on his sleeve and gestured to the panel once again. Romani hesitated for only a moment before he complied, but he did also catch the concerned glance that Mash was sending his way. "I'm fine. Honest, it's…it's not related to my physical health, just something that's bugging me is all."
Mash looked pensive, though nodding her head faintly after a second, the worried look still remained on her face, it was probably still being aimed at the back of his head as he turned away from her and nodded one final time. There was just one more Servant they were due to return, much as he would have liked to get those he met in the Singularities, he wasn't going to try and push his luck with summoning more. Namely because that would bring quite an upset to the Director.
The light flashed through the room for the final time, a figure sauntered out of it with the same cocky smirk on his face that he usually wore, red spear draped across his shoulder blades with both his arms up and hooked over it to keep in place. The blue haired Lancer gave out a low whistle, red eyes looked him up and down before Cu nodded his head approvingly. "I have to say, Master…wasn't expecting to see you alive but I am never one to deny being pleasantly surprised. If you're here and kicking, then that means you won."
Ritsuka thinned his lips. "...He's still alive."
"And?" Cu raised an eyebrow at him, looking confused. "A God sets out to kill you and you somehow survive? I'd say that's a victory far beyond what pretty much anyone else can say." he lowered his left arm and brought his hand forwards to point at him. "You're alive and kicking. So what if he's still alive as well, just gives you the chance to kick his head in the next time you meet…" he paused for a moment, then rolled his neck "And just for the record, I'd love a crack at them as well."
He felt a mixture of shock and bewilderment at how nonchalant Cu was, sure he was aware of the personality of the Lancer but this took it to a whole new level. Was he just not affected by the fact he had literally died? Was everyone else just writing off what happened and carrying on as though it never occurred. How was he the only one who seemed to be making a big deal out of this?
"And that looks like the last of-" Romani's began to speak, then abruptly cut himself off and fell silent. The sudden pause brought a raising of his brows and turning his head to look at the doctor through the window. Immediately catching sight of the troubled expression on the face of the man as he stared at the computer screens. His eyes widening for a moment before his jaw visibly clenched. "Oh boy…"
"Oh boy? Oh boy, what?"
"The summoning circle is activating again." He visibly winced, looking up and continuing on. "Same situation as the Director it seems but..But that should have been a one in a million chance, happening twice in a row? This is outright-"
The pillar of light shooting up from the pad cut the doctor off, and the intensity of it had Ritsuka take several steps backwards and bring up his hand to block out the light, wincing the whole time he did so. Probably worse for Cu who had been standing directly next to the pad at the summoning, though a scuffing sound and a brief glance revealed the Lancer now stood in front of him with the spear at the ready.
As the light faded, there was a subtle pressure that flooded the room, a sense of something great now standing opposite him. A shadow fell over his vision, blocking out the light as the smoke dissipated. Bringing his hand down, what greeted Ritsuka first and foremost was the very large shape of the newly summoned Servant, towering over everyone else in the room as they took a single step forwards, an echo drumming around the moment they did so, followed by another step.
Fluttering white hair, a pronged crown, a chestplate made of dark scaled material and a weapon, a cross between a spear and a sword held in their right hand. The dull golden eyes of Faraam looked down on him instantly, the rest of his expression hidden behind a scarf but that did nothing to conceal the hard look in his eyes. The God said nothing for only a few seconds, but when he spoke it drowned out everything else in the room.
"It would seem as though you have finally called me forth, young warrior." Taking in a deep breath, the pressure seemingly abated and Ritsuka realised he could finally breathe again. The look slowly softened as the God tilted his head to the side, seemingly looking him over for a moment and then sweeping his eyes over the rest of the room. "So many faces that are so familiar and so new. I dare not believe this was a welcome for my arrival, in light of its abrupt nature." he paused for a moment, then took a step to the side and aimed his eyes onto the pad. "On that topic…"
Ritsuka had barely a moment to ask what he was waiting for, the summoning pad flashed once more and light shot into the sky, he supposed this was what happened when you tried to summon specific Servants, sure there was a chance you would get the Servant but you were still putting out a call to the throne. Anyone listening in would sense it as well.
The light faded once more, the pressure resumed but different, there was a gentle calming nature to it, as though he was back home once more but it didn't feel sudden like it did with Gwynevere, it felt slow, reassuring. His eyes focused on the man who stood about the same height as Cu Chulainn - the Lancer took in a sharp breath immediately after the man stepped forwards - and Ritsuka focused his eyes on the rather plane looking man.
With dark leather trousers and thick black boots, over the top of his body was a chainmail cuirass, a thick belt around his waist upon which was a sheath and a sword placed within, on the right side of his body. His right arm was toned, with a decent amount of muscle upon it, the left arm was rather unusual. Especially in the sense that it looked as though it was completely fashioned from metal, a gleaming shine to it which gave it the appearance of being unnaturally polished.
The man took a step forwards, inhaling and then exhaling, a rather tranquil expression on his face as his dull red eyes swept over them, blonde hair tied back into a ponytail which looked to extend down his back. His eyes lingered on Ritsuka for a moment, then turned on Cu Chulainn, his expression shifted for a moment before recognition flickered through his eyes.
"This sensation…" The man muttered in a warm voice, sounding nostalgic. "That's the feeling of Lugh upon you and yet…" he brought his left hand up and rubbed his squared chin, the rather handsome man paused for a moment, then a small smile slowly spread across his lips. "Ah ha. You must be his son, Setanta. Yes…you have his eyes, they burn with much the same fire as his."
Just like that, his attention flickered back to Ritsuka with a troubled look. "Dear me, I overlooked my manners and neglected my host. That was unbecoming of me." bringing his silver arm up, he placed it against his heart and bowed in greeting. For the life of him, he didn't understand the bug eye'd look that Cu was giving him, nor the way his eyes kept darting to the sword on the man's hip. "I shall greet you well, Ritsuka Fujimaru. I shall introduce myself and apologise for my uninvited visit. I am Nuada, Former King of the Tuatha Dé Danann."
Now Mash was hyperventilating behind him and he felt like he was missing something.
The man rose back up, then stepped forwards and extended his normal hand towards him, all while maintaining his genial smile. "Though I would much prefer we treat one another as equals, as we are all warriors under the same banner now. In which case, you may call me Nudd, as it is the name of…well…myself, in a sense at least." there was an almost playful twinkle in his eye.
Ritsuka stared at the hand, then back at the man. He certainly felt like he was a God but the way he approached him and spoke was rather innocent, all things considered. Therefore, with an internal shrug, he extended his own hand to the man and clasped it, though the grip was tight it wasn't uncomfortable, shaking his hand up and down.
"Now then…" The expression of Nuada turned serious. "I understand humanity is in peril and I am here to offer whatever aid I can."
"...What the fuck…?" He barely heard Cu's shocked whisper over everything else, still shaking the hand of the man - the God - in front of him who looked to be as far from all the Gods he had met thus far as he could get. For one thing, he wasn't absurdly tall and for another, he didn't invite the same manner of overwhelming presence as everyone else.
"Come now, Setanta-" Nudd paused for a moment, then frowned. "Though, do you have qualms if I call you by that name? I understand you go by the name Cu Chulainn, do you not? Is there one of them that you have a preference for?"
Ritsuka blinked, then turned to look at the Lancer, then blinked again at the dumbfounded expression, as though he wasn't quite sure what to make of what was going on. Opening and closing his mouth several times before he eventually spoke up, his voice cracking at the start. "Y-you…Cu Chulainn works fine."
"I see." Nudd nodded his head up and down. "I apologise if I came across as disrespectful to you."
"N-nah…nah…" Muttering the answer, Cu slowly shook his head from side to side and then slowly aimed his eyes down, then he turned his eyes onto Ritsuka and the boy found himself somewhat bewildered by the sudden look in his eyes. "...I don't know how you managed this but…er…good…good work."
Ritsuka could only furrow his brows, now certain he was missing something.
"Don't worry about it, son." Nudd reassured him as he released his hand, the slightly taller man offered him a comforting pat on the shoulder. "I'm certain that those who are aware of me will explain it to you rather swiftly. I can see the young girl behind you is positively leaping up and down with excitement." he finished with an amused smile on his face.
Turning around, Ritsuka looked towards Mash and sure enough she was virtually shaking as she stared at Nudd with wide eyes. "S-Senpai, he is…Nuada Airgetlám is the First King of the Irish Gods!"
He blinked, then turned back to the man in front of him, then blinked again. Then looked at the hand he had just shook. Then found himself blinking again. "...Hello there." He dumbly spoke but it was the only thing he could thing to say.
Nudd just chuckled at him "I've told you, I'm not the King of the Tuatha Dé Danann anymore, there's no reason to treat me as anyone special."
"No one special, he says…" He heard Cu mutter behind him incredulously.
"R-right…" Ritsuka nodded his head, then turned towards Faraam who had remained silent during the rather sudden proceedings. He thinned his lips as he stared up at the former War God, he knew for a fact there was no love lost between himself and Gwyn but at the same time, he didn't know how he was going to react to Gwyndolin and Gwynevere, neither of whom seemed to view him in a particularly good light either. "Hello again."
"Young warrior." Faraam greeted him with a nod of the head, humming in such a way that sounded like a car starting. "I wonder…what has happened since we last met, your eyes have aged faster than your face. Thus, it seems you have grown…if just a little." it did sound like a compliment but he wasn't sure how to take it. So he just made a small noise of affirmation and nodded his head. "...Is it not the custom of a host to show his guests their abode? I realise our arrival was unannounced but I sensed the call and answered and this time it felt…pressing."
Ritsuka snorted "You…you don't know the half of it."
Though if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that the Director wasn't going to be very happy with the fact he accidentally summoned two new Servants when he was supposed to be taking it easy.
AN: Indeed!
Nudd-Nuada! The Original Airgetlám himself!
He's an OC Servant…or is he?
Nudd-Nuada
Servant: Saber
Strength: B+
Endurance: B+
Agility: B+
Mana: A
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: A+
Airgetlám - The Silver Arm of the Throne: A++ (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 1, Max Range: 0
The Silver arm Airgetlám, made for Nuada to serve as proof that he was eligible for Kingship once more. Using this arm re-enacts that aspect of his myth. In doing so, he is physically blessed by the power of his old self once more. His physical stats are increased by a magnitude of 3 during this period, but he burns through a much higher level of magical energy as a result.
Claíomh Solais - Sword of Shining Light: A+ (Anti-Army) Max Target: 600, Max Range: 1-50
The Sword of Light, the weapon said to be the origin of Excalibur. While this is certainly not true, it serves as proof of concept for Holy Swords in the eyes of general history. The Light of the Weapon burns bright in the presence of evil but it is more than that. The Wielder of the weapon will see the 'Weak Spot' of their foe and know precisely where to strike. Light will surge from the blade to this point, to strike this weak spot. At its maximum, they shall become individual beams of shining light, rays which burst from the sword and strike the targets.
Class Skills:
Divine Core of a God: A
Has excellent compatibility with his host, especially since they are functionally the same individual.
Magic Resistance: A
Riding: B
Personal Skills:
Wisdom of the Hunt: B+
His knowledge of the Hunting god has translated over quite well, enough to the point this composite skill is present. He is granted tactics of exceeding quality when in the woodlands and even outside of it of Rank B. This knowledge can also be bestowed upon allied Servants, granting them the sight of how best to navigate the forests in search of quarry. It also grants him a presence detection within the Woodlands of equal rank. Allowing him to track down those with Rank C and below Presence Concealment swiftly.
Waters of the Nodens: B
The healing waters of the Nodens, regardless of the source, Nudd can turn whatever Water he blesses into a powerful healing liquid, able to restore even the most grievous wounds.
King of the Tuatha dé Danann: A
Composite skill. The First King of the Gods and one of the wisest rulers they had. His is a presence to inspire confidence within even the most dire of circumstances. Beyond this, his power as a warrior was truly exceptional to the point where it required Balor of the Evil Eye to slay him. Mind's Eye (Fake) is granted at equal rank to skill.
Summoning
"Servant, Saber. Nudd-Nuada, though you can just call me Nudd. I would quite prefer that, my time as a King has been and gone and my host has a preference for being humble of his abilities. Or should I say, I have a preference for it. Hm? Does that confuse you? Do not worry about it, merely an inside joke you might say."
Dialogue 1
"I'm glad to see that there are such warm and welcoming spirits. It does my heart good to see that you surround yourself with those of decent manners."
Dialogue 2
"My host? Yes…it would seem that the origin of Gods is rather different. While the version of me who originated from Pan Human History was indeed a God, it would seem that the version of me who did not was human. Incredible to consider, isn't it? Therefore with this summoning we are both granted a unique perspective and are all the better for it."
Dialogue 3
"Master, I've noticed that you have fewer breaks than you should. Speaking as both a former King and a Servant, I would encourage you to take some much needed rest. Dying from overworking would be an embarrassing way to go."
Dialogue 4 (If you have Kintoki)
"A dragon who thought himself into becoming human? I know of such things done in reverse but to see something like this first hand. Incredible, he feels completely human as well. Who am I to treat him differently? Hmmm, Haha, yes. Golden indeed, son. Golden indeed."
Dialogue 5 (If you have Minamoto-no-Raikou)
"I seem to get along well with Raikou? I suppose we have some things in common. Such as? Well…we were both parents. Oh, does that not surprise you? I suppose I still let my parental nature slip through every now and again, don't I? Hmm? A doting parent…Well, I've certainly never been called that before."
Dialogue 6 (If you have Boudica)
"The pain of losing a child is never easy and it is never something that can be overcome. We can make peace with it, but the pain lingers on even after that. The fury that followed…it is not one I can accept but I can understand. I am pleased to see she let the anger go, at least. She does not deserve to be burdened with that hatred."
Dialogue 7 (If you have Gilgamesh)
"The child of Gods with the all-seeing eyes? Yes, I have made an effort to avoid them. On account of their eyes? Not so much. Merely that I fear I would let my parental habits slip even around him and I believe we could all do without the conflict of what would arise, couldn't we?"
Dialogue 8 (If you have Gwynevere)
"...I have a great swell of pity for this Goddess. She is ignorant of even her own abuse and blindly inflicts it upon others. We can think poorly of her actions, but it is akin to a flame. It does not know better. Her father made her a flame and that can be pitied."
Dialogue 9 (If you have child Servants)
"Hmmm? Ah, there you are. I don't suppose you've seen the young ones about, have you? They made me promise to read them a story and it's getting close to the time. On that note, do you have any recommendations? I have a few stories I would like to read them, but I am puzzled by this new 'age rating' the modern world has. I feel as though we might have a different definition of 'Parental guidance'."
Dialogue 10 (If you have Fionn)
"Hmm? Ah! There is the High King now and-nope, nope, nope. Don't try and downplay your efforts. Just because there was no ceremony does not make you any less of a High King, Fionn. Be proud of your achievements, I am."
Dialogue 11 (If you have Scathach)
"I should have figured you would track me down eventually, I know what it is you seek, Queen of Dun Scaith. A duel against the fabled Sword of Light, am I correct? Well…I suppose agreeing to a spar would certainly be possible but I fear we might both become too invested in it. Destroying the training room would be rather selfish of us, would it not?"
Dialogue 12 (If you have Bedivere)
"The Airgetlám, is it? Well…who is to say whether it is or is not the Silver arm. It is an Arm blessed with Divine power and bestows strength to the wielder, much like my own. In that case, how could it not be the Airgetlám, though I must say, Sir Bedivere…you wield it very well. Do not forget that."
Dialogue 13 (If you have Divine Spirits)
"So I am not the only God to walk the halls of Chaldea? That is fine as well. In a way, it is gratifying to see so many gathered under a single banner. Humans, Gods, demons, dragons and even those of metal bodies. This truly is a diverse court of warriors, is it not?"
Dialogue 14 (If you have Berserker Servants)
"Berserkers, losing oneself to insanity in any capacity is troubling to behold. Yet they all seem to be placated in service to you. They are not tormented by their madness as they would be. Whether you realise it or not, you have done them a great boon. Do not forget that."
Dialogue 15 (If you have Morgan le Fay)
"Your wife, is it…Hmmm. Well, if you make each other happy then I suppose I don't have room to complain. Though I have to say, that business with her daughter…she is a single mother. Are you fine with marrying into that so late into the development of the child? Just…I was married…well, I wasn't really married but we did have a child together, I can provide advice if you-why are you making that face? This is decent enough advice! I'm not doting I am just making sure you're happy!"
Likes
"What do I like? Hmmm, you've put me on the spot here. I enjoy spending time with you, and the others around Chaldea. The moments of short rest and comfort are enough for me."
Hates
"A strong emotion. Something that is unforgivable…for me…It would be to lose sight of oneself. Ironically, I hate those who become blind with fury. No, perhaps hate is the wrong word as it is not always their choice. I hate what they have become, not who they are."
Wish for the Holy Grail
"The Holy Grail, I have not much interest in such a thing at the moment. Yet, I cannot say such a thing will remain true forever. Such is the fate of being an all powerful wish granter. Standing before it…it is troubling to think of just one wish. But…well, maybe I do have one but perhaps later."
Bond Level 1
"I see that things are going well for you? Good, good. I'm glad to hear it. Do not hesitate to speak if there is anything the matter."
Bond Level 2 (If male)
"Everything is going well? That's good, that's good. On another topic, I've noticed that some of the female Servants seem to have taken quite a liking to you. I just want you to know that if there is ever any advice you need-Hm? You don't want to talk about this further? Why not? Some of these women seem very lovely, I'm certain you'd make a great couple!"
Bond Level 2 (If female)
"Some of these male Servants have been looking at you intently, just…just watch out for those with silver tongues. I've been sure to keep my eye on most of them and steer away the worst offenders and-eh? Why are you getting so annoyed? What do you mean I'm being meddlesome? Wha-I'm just looking out for your romantic life! I don't want you to get strung along!"
Bond Level 3
"Have you thought about going to one of those minute Singularities for some break time? What do I mean…well, I am a God of the Hunt as well. I thought we could go and do something together. Perhaps a spot of fishing by a stream, or setting up some traps in the woods to catch rabbits? How does that sound?"
Bond Level 4 (If male)
"I know you said to drop it but I decided to have a talk with some of the women around Chaldea and I think I've managed to arrange you with a couple of dates. Now, before you start panicking, don't worry. It's nothing exceedingly romantic, in fact they can barely even be called dates. Just friendly get-togethers between the two of you…over dinner. During the evening. How does that sound-you look rather cross right now."
Bond Level 4 (If female)
"...I shall start by saying I think of you as if you were my own daughter. So to that end I recognise that you will want the freedom to court whomever you wish to court and that is something I shall…begrudgingly…accept. To that end, I have compiled a list of names of acceptable suitors for you. The names that are crossed off are very big no, no's. Now, if you would like some advice on the interests of each candidate, I would be more than willing to grant it-why-sto-do not throw your pillow at me, young lady! I'm doing this out of-I am not embarrassing you! What's embarrassing about helping your love life!?"
Bond Level 5
"I think of you as my own child, though…I probably wasn't the best parent in the past. Hm? You think I'm being too harsh. Well, perhaps I am right but I had no idea what I was doing when I was raising them and before I knew it they rushed off into the big wild world to make something of themselves. I suppose it's a case of what I could have done differently…Well, I'm glad to be here for you and…you think I'd make a good father…that is…thank you…for telling me that."
Birthday
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear-eh? The cake? I asked the kitchen staff to make it. The singing? Isn't this what normally happens on birthdays? Did…did you not want a cake? Oh, you're fine with the cake, it's just the singing is a bit much?"
During an Event
"If you're going to go out there, you'd better bring protection…here's a shield…Pffthahahaha! Come on now, that was a funny one, you must admit. Alright, alright, I'll come with you. Besides, this looks like it could be a spot of fun."
1st Ascension
"I'm a firm believer in simple things, so don't expect me to run around with one of those overly exaggerated outfits."
2nd Ascension
"Another ascension? I'm grateful you show me this level of trust and…the metal breastplate? Yes, I do have one now. Why does it look like Fionn's? Well, that's just a matter of due respect."
3rd Ascension
"The blue cape? Yes, I am wearing one. It's not overly indulgent, it is just a scrap of cloth around my shoulder. This is not me going back on my words, I am still wearing a very simple attire. It gets the point across and does it truly matter?"
4th Ascension
"So you took me to the extreme, did you? My thanks for this, truly. I'll be certain to work with you to the best of my abilities. That much I can promise you that."