Valentines: I
Mash had known that it was coming, but it had been a bit of a surprise to see that others had taken similar interest in it as well.
Actually, that would have depended on the individual in question.
Because when the day of romance was quickly falling upon them, there were a few Servants that she was decidedly more wary of than others. Not least of which was a certain Berserker who was a bit close to Senpai on the best of days. During the time when love was considered to be at its height, this coming day would doubtless be when she attempted something big.
As for her own thoughts regarding that…
Mash found herself struggling to concentrate on anything but, not simply because of Kiyohime but also because of Senapi himself.
Valentines day was supposed to be a day where you appreciated the people close to you, already she heard whispers and mutterings from conversations she had been privy to. Or had accidentally walked in on, it would have been impossible not to hear Astolfo loudly boast about his plans to make chocolate bunnies which hopped around Chaldea.
It had been an amusing declaration, but that had been only the tip of the iceberg.
Mash had noticed the number of Servants who had been frequenting the kitchens as well as the dwindling supplies of dairy that would likely force them onto a supply run before long.
No, this was not just about all of that.
Her mind focused on Valentines day itself.
There was a certain desire within her to do something for it, to present Senpai with some small token of appreciation just so he could understand how much she was grateful for his help. Not to mention the desire to present something to doctor Romani and Da Vinci as well, they had also provided her with a lot of help over the years.
Giving something to Senpai and not giving something to Romani felt…wrong to her.
But all she was left with was the simple realisation that there wasn't much she could do.
She had been learning to bake and her efforts were slowly paying off, in no small part thanks to the efforts of Gwynevere, but it was still going to take some time for her to actually reach a point where she could make something good, or good enough that she could say it was able to accurately convey her feelings.
It was a faint exhaustion and hint of nervousness that crept through her body, a feeling of unease as the day loomed closer and closer to her. While everyone else was running around and getting ready to celebrate, she would be left behind because she wasn't sure how she was going to manage.
No…she…she wanted to do something for Valentines day.
But it was so close and she didn't think she would be able to manage it in time.
Given that it was less than a week away from her, there was no doubt that if she was to make something truly fitting for Senpai, she would need to spend every single free hour she had in the kitchens and learning under the other chefs in order to get good enough to make what she envisioned.
…Except she couldn't envision anything.
When she tried to picture the perfect chocolate, she found herself gazing at nothing.
Her lips rolled inwards and her eyes lowered themselves.
Was it so far beyond her ability to make a valentines day chocolate that she failed to even imagine something?
What did that say about her-
"Mash-senpai!"
A jolt, her eyes snapped up at the light voice which flowed over her ears like a warm breeze, it slowly brought a smile to her lips as the tall form of Gwynevere strode towards her, wearing a gentle smile as always, golden eyes flickering left and right as the smile turned a bit softer, once close enough, the Goddess lowered herself onto the table just opposite Mash.
"Good morning, Gwynevere-san."
"And a wonderful morning to you as well, Mash." Gwynevere replied warmly, though a moment later, the woman raised a delicate brow, eyes shone with intrigue and a touch of worry within them. "Or do I speak prematurely? There seems to be a phantom weight upon your shoulders, Mash…and I know it would not relate to your strength of arm."
Gwynevere always seemed to know when something was amiss with her, even when she tried to hide it.
Mash felt her smile fall a little, her eyes moved from the Goddess and to the table once more, her arms that lay flat upon the surface moved together and her fingers pressed against one another. "I…A little bit."
"Hmmm." With a light hum, the woman nodded her head up and down as though she had been expecting that answer. "Though it might be difficult to believe, my knowledge extends beyond the ability of war…come then, share your concerns so that I might provide you with some respite. I believe my council to be quite good."
There was a brief flicker of hesitation before she let the words spill out of her. "There is a holiday coming up and I…I'm a bit lost."
"A holiday?" Another raised brow, the Goddess brought a single finger up and raised it delicately upon her chin, angling her head to the side and squinting her gaze in thought, then her eyes widened. "Ah, I believe there has been talk of some manner of celebrated day. One of appreciation, I believe? This…Day of Valentines?"
If Gwynevere had already heard about it, then that made things simple enough for Mash.
"Yes." She replied with, supporting her words with a nod of the head. "It's a day where people celebrate their bonds with one another and give tokens of appreciation, normally in the form of chocolates…but there are also some other presents people give to those they have closer relations with."
Mirth danced through the face of Gwynevere, her lip pulled up into a more coy smile. "Is that so? I can see how this would be an appreciated day. I crafted similar ones, the turning of the spring season was celebrated, as was the first days of summer. When one could spread joy as the warm sun embraced them."
She was certain that there were holidays like that as well.
"Yes." Her lips felt dry, a small flick of her tongue wet them again as she found the urge to continue speaking. "But there is…I want to be able to do something for Valentines day for Senpai but it's fast approaching and I…I don't think that I would be good enough for something like that…"
Gwynevere frowned at her for the first time, but it was not a frown of disapproval, but rather one of puzzlement. "Whatever would you say something like that for? A day of appreciation is something where the thoughts are what matter most. So long as your feelings are earnestly conveyed, you could produce a painted stone to your friend and they should accept it for the effort you put in for them."
Mash paused for a moment, then rolled her jaw. "I don't want to give Senpai a painted rock…I…I want to give him something special…"
With a melodious laugh, Gwynevere covered her mouth with the back of her hand. "Dear me, I was not suggesting you raid the old gardens to find a suitable stone for decoration, it was an example dear. Though I can understand your thoughts quite well, I can only assume this is the first time you have felt such a strong pull towards this day?"
"I…I haven't celebrated it before."
The laughter faded and the frown returned. "You have never celebrated this day before and now display a vested interest? Perhaps your pull is stronger…or you had…No, I do not believe it is because you had no one you considered worth celebrating it over. Perhaps this change is brought about by a fresh understanding?"
"It…" Mash rolled her lips. "Valentines day was not really celebrated in Chaldea, it passed just like any other day but…but I think it is because of the situation I…"
Her eyes lowered towards her hands, pulling them close and giving her fingers an idle examination.
"...I want to at least try it…if there isn't another-"
A large hand fell upon her own, then gave them a gentle squeeze.
It was the sudden nature of the action which made her stop speaking, her eyes swung upwards and met the glowing golden ones of the Goddess, leaning across the table with an expression like that of stone. Gwynevere's gaze bore into her own for what felt like hours before the woman spoke with a voice as strong as steel but as silent as a whisper.
"Do not speak of such sad things, not when you have yet to experience so much in the world."
The demand was rather clear, almost as though it was burying itself into her very being.
Gwynevere glanced down and then pulled her hand back off of Mash's, the Goddess closed her eyes and let out a breath. "That was forwards of me, but this is to be a day of joy you wish to partake in. Doing so should come as naturally to you as breathing does for everything else. If it is your wish to learn how to bring merriment to your fellows, then I can aid you as best I can."
Opening her eyes, the woman gave a slow nod of the head. "The first thing we must decide upon is what is to be done on this day. You claim it to be a celebration? Good. Tell me all you can of it and then we shall form a plan of attack-"
Wait, what was that?
Mash jolted at the words and then blinked. "A-attack? That sounds-"
"Of course." Gwynevere continued on as if she hadn't said anything worrying. "These days should be looked at with the same meticulous scrutiny as one would gaze on the plans before a battle. To never underestimate your foe or even the environment around you. To prepare for any chance of a surprise and react accordingly, to have plans at the ready if one should fail."
She found she could not deny the words, but all the same it was a touch more aggressive than she had been prepared for.
"And for another matter, there is often more than one front opened on the battlefield." Words continued to spill forth from the mouth of the Goddess, gesturing towards her with a low frown. "This, I believe, is no exception. There are to be others you seek to show your appreciation towards, I can see no doubt in that. You wish to provide for those that you have lost the chance to do so in the past? The light haired man who acts as a guardian for you, yes? The brunette with a rather beautiful face."
Mash slowly nodded her head up and down, then furrowed her brows. "How did-"
A knowing look.
"I have walked the world for more than a dozen generations and sired a dozen more. I have held court for a thousand different kingdoms and have long looked into the faces of those who could be considered skilled liars and seen men and women wear their emotions upon their sleeves like a bear wears fur upon its hide…"
Gwynevere leaned back into her chain, relaxing into the frame and raising a hand, sweeping it across the table and finally towards herself.
"Mash…you wear your emotions quite openly. There is a desire in your gaze once your mind stands firm, a determination to see the matter through and I do not believe that Ritsuka alone would be enough to satiate that desire…you wish all those who have been with you to experience that kindness, but must relegate yourself to those you feel the greatest for."
That was not wrong.
Mash lowered her eyes and bobbed her head, it was a matter that now ailed her mind. There were many others that she would have hoped to provide for and she did not doubt she could do so. Perhaps a small case of making cookies for the other staff members who remained, or aiding Siegward with something of the sort.
Yes, that was something she wanted to do.
…Perhaps Quelaag as well?
She could ask Da Vinci to try and make up a cloth for the Rider that would not be set aflame.
"Then as I said, we begin our plan of attack."
Mash brought her eyes up.
Gwynevere leaned forwards, resting her elbows upon the table and tenting her hands together, golden eyes shone bright with focus. "For when we enter the field of love, it cannot be denied that it is a war…and one that my brother has very little skill in, I must say. However…hmmm…"
Her eyes turned to the side and went hazy, as though her mind was looking to something else.
Mash did not miss that it was the mention of her brother that brought about this change, a shift in something before the life returned to the orbs, the Goddess looked back to her and the smile returned, banishing whatever unease had been present on the face of the woman.
"So then…perhaps we shall begin while we have time to prepare? With our combined strength, Mash-senpai, I do not doubt that this is a war we shall claim victory in."
"V-victory?"
"Of course."
Mash found herself at odds with the title of the Goddess before her, as she understood it, Faraam was the God of War within their family…
…What happened here?
It was hardly something Ritsuka expected, to be alone in his room only to receive a guest from a rather unexpected individual.
"I apologise if I disturb you-"
"Not at all." He dismissed their worries before they could take root, a welcoming tone and a wave of the hand towards the inside of the room heralded the approach of the taller blonde. Ritsuka watched them pass with a raised brow, but kept his words inside of himself for the time being. Closing the door behind Ash and shifting his focus to greet him. "You're always welcome to stop by whenever you want. I'll be sure to make the time for you."
The only sign of his words registering was a faint hesitation before the man resumed his stride, stepping further into the chambers before holding his feet and lowering his gaze down. Arms raised and bent, hands falling upon his hips and a low grunt escaping from the Avenger.
Ritsuka watched the sight in silence, waiting for Ash to speak first.
He did not find himself waiting long.
"I am…aware that there is an event occurring next week."
There was a glimmer of understanding that sprung up within himself, a smile blossomed over his face at the words and his head bobbed up and down. "Yep. Valentines day next week, I'm busy sorting out some of the stuff that I'm going to be handing out. I'll be working with Siegward to bake some cookies for everyone…I don't think Servants have allergies but I'll need to check."
He noticed he had gotten lost in his musings, only when he glanced up and noted the Avenger sending him a blank gaze, one that showed only a flicker of unease within his verdant eyes.
Ritsuka pulled his hand from his chin, his brows lowering themselves. "Is there something the matter, Ash? If you're worried about undead being able to taste them, I was going to ask Siegward if he could mix some estus into the ones for the undead-"
"That…" Ash's words escaped his mouth like a hammer, a blunt tone to end the conversation before it wavered and trailed short. "...That is not what my concern is. Namely that I have…"
It was impossible to ignore the posture of the man, the tension in his shoulders and the cracks in the stony expression were signs that Ritsuka had seen before in many others. His lips rolled inwards and his eyes closed, folding his arms comfortably over his chest as a breath escaped him. When his eyes opened, he gazed at Ash in a new light.
"Right, yeah. I figure that you wouldn't have much experience with this sort of thing…"
Ash glanced to the side for a brief moment, there was no answer from them but Ritsuka needed nothing.
"Is it…" The man wet his lips, eyes returned to Ritsuka's own. "I know of the holiday as I knew of the day of Santa. As I know of every other holiday from every other time, each one burned into my mind and weighed upon my tongue, ready to let slip but when I think heavily on them…I find myself without thought. They mean nothing to me, despite my best interests-"
Ritsuka brought up a hand, waving it towards the man. "In fairness, you've only really celebrated a couple holidays at the moment and…no, that's not really much of an excuse, I suppose. Though I'm a bit…did you really not like Christmas?"
He had tried to keep the hurt from his words, but he knew he had failed from the very moment he started speaking. It was not the first holiday Ash celebrated but the actions of Artemis had soured the first, even if it had ended well towards the end, there was little excuse for it. Even Christmas had apparently been marred with conflict, all while he and the others had celebrated.
The lip of Ash twitched, a flash of something shot through his eyes before it vanished, then his head slowly shook from side to side. "It…It had moments where I was more comfortable than others, I will not deny. Yet I gazed to the others and found myself unable to share in their loud laughs and wide smiles. It held little value, but I was content with seeing their relief."
Content.
The word made an ugly sound in Ritsuka's mind.
"...Do you want Valentines day to be different, or are you here to ask me to excuse you from it?"
He silently begged for it not to be the case of the latter.
"I…I would ask your assistance."
Ritsuka straightened himself quickly, his brows rose up and his arms fell to his side. It was a shock that jolted through, rendering him unable to form words for only a few moments, yet it did not last long. By the count of four, Ritsuka knew he was wearing a wide smile on his lips, the urge to let out a shout was rather strong, but he held himself firm and did not unleash a bellow of cheer.
He doubted Ash would appreciate that.
"You want me to help you with Valentines day?"
A nod of the head.
"That's…I'll gladly help you." Ritsuka blurted out before the Avenger got the chance to change his mind or go to another for aid. This was something that he would let no one steal away from him. Selfish as though it might be, but he was not about to turn away someone he considered to be a friend at such a crucial time. "Is there something you need help with specifically? Because if it's baking, I know a little bit but Siegward is-"
Ash held up a hand, stopping him short and letting silence fill the room.
He worried for a moment that he had let his emotions grab the better of him, but it was a concern that was ill-founded as the blonde took in a deep breath. Eyes closed for a short time before opening once more, focusing on him as the arm lowered itself.
"...It is a time for appreciation to be shown and I would…" Another shake of the head, his front turned from Ritsuka and he paced across the room, approaching the desk where his papers lay and resting his hands upon it, a gentle creak of metal either from the armour he wore or the desk protesting the weight upon it. "...I do not know how."
Ritsuka softened his gaze, stepping towards Ash and recalling words spoken some time ago. He did not ask if they still held truth to them, but he would recall their nature. "Your one and only friend…you never gave him anything, did you?"
"Ill news of dead family." Ash replied with a toneless voice. "Or lover. I knew not what Loretta was and I…I have not the desire to look for the answer. It is not my pain to bear and I shall not look through his memories like that. If he wished me to know, he would have told me. I will not share in his grief for a woman I did not know."
He closed the distance with Ash, coming up by the side of the man and gazing at his expression. Reading his face was like reading a blank paper, there was nothing to be seen but perhaps that was proof enough. Not even the eyes held a hint of emotion within them. Merely coldness.
"I wish to use this day for what it is intended for."
It was a sudden sentence, Ash turned upon speaking it and stepped away from the desk, looking down on him with an intensity flashing in his eyes.
Ritsuka felt the emotions, the determination in the words.
It was something that Ash wanted to do.
But he did not know how to do it.
"I'll help you."
Ash did not say it, but Ritsuka did not need to hear it either.
The relief in the gaze of the blonde was more than enough for an answer for him.
That being said, there was something that Ritsuka wished clarified, if only so it would be spoken aloud. He had suspicions for who Ash wished to present with a gift on Valentines day, but he would prefer to hear it right from the mouth of the individual, rather than make false assumptions and appear a fool later.
"This is for Nobunaga, isn't it?"
Ash rolled his lips and nodded his head. "They are the closest I would consider to a…friend. Though I am not certain I am comfortable with sharing the title with any beyond Greirat but I am…assuming that this shall provide me the answer I seek."
Was that what he hoped it would do?
Ritsuka nodded his head up and down at the words, it was something he had expected but was similarly caught by surprise by. It had long been his assumption that Ash and Nobunaga were already friends, but to see the glimmer of discomfort in the blonde as he spoke of the Archer was a shock to him.
Though he would not judge Ash for his indecision on the matter of friendship, it did not come easily to some and when it was lost, there was no doubt it would be hard to be claimed.
Greirat had left a lasting impression on Ash, for better and for worse.
"Alright then." Ritsuka let the thoughts go and focused now on what he was going to do. That being helping Ash with making a gift. "So do you have an idea on what you want to give her, or were you struggling a bit with that?"
The blonde frowned, then he shifted his gaze away.
Ritsuka picked up on the cue easily enough.
"I see. I suppose we'll have to start from the beginning, but that's alright. Even the smallest sort of gift is worth a lot but-"
"I…" Ash rolled his jaw, his words silent but strong. "Giving her a trinket would be a disservice, I feel. It is not something that I understand. Giving her food would be a poor effort. My time in making such things has only rewarded me with failures. I can create bread but that is nothing special."
"So you want it to be special?"
"...It is supposed to be unique." Was the simple reply he received, though what alarmed Rituska was the cold - bordering on clinical - tone of voice that was used. As though Ash was merely fulfilling an obligation for it. "The purpose of the holiday is appreciation, is it not? How would it convey such feelings if I gave her something that I could do on any other day?"
Ritsuka raised a brow. "I could give cookies or cakes to someone on any other day and I wouldn't say that makes them any less special when it comes to doing the same on Valentine but that's me."
It was something he was coming to terms with, his approaches were a bit different to the regular sort.
Or maybe his approach was the regular sort-no, that wasn't liable to be the case.
Ash regarded him with silence, the stare was one without intent but he found himself shrugging his shoulders all the same to the Avenger. Turning from them and pacing across his room, folding his arms behind his back and rolling his lips inwards.
"...I think a good place to start would be to think about what you would want to get on a day like this?"
From the moment he spoke the words, Ritsuka could already feel as though he'd stuck his foot in his mouth. The phantom taste of shoe on his tongue was an unpleasant one, his expression sucked inwards and his eyes closed.
As expected, he got the answer he thought he would have.
"I do not know."
Ritsuka brought his arms back to the front, clapping them together and forming a point with them, spinning back to face Ash and gesturing to the blonde. "Alright, if you were to receive something from someone. What would be your chief concern with it?"
"How useful it was in a fight."
"Okay so, we'll go with useful." Ritsuka latched onto that aspect of it, the flicker of something informed him that Ash was giving him his full attention on the matter. "So if you want to give something to Nobunaga, then it will have to be something she will get more than one use out of. Something that she uses time and time again, because that is what you would want, right?"
Ash silently nodded his head.
"So, setting aside the idea of something in a fight, you'd want it to be something she can use when she wants to relax or to have fun, yeah? Can you think of anything that she might be interested in?"
Thoughts danced over the face of the blonde, Ash raised his right hand and cupped his chin, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger for what amounted to a good minute. Eyes flickering left and right as the only means of determining what his thoughts were. For a moment, Ritsuka assumed that the man might have been looking through the memories to find something that Nobunaga liked.
It was not a bad idea, all things considered.
He let the minute pass without interruption, willing to let the man come to his own conclusions.
"...She once told me that there was an option for me to learn a tea ceremony from her."
Ritsuka brightened at that, smiling wider and gesturing for the man to speak further.
"I believe she enjoys them…and if combined with a practical use…perhaps…a tea set?"
The phrasing as a question made Ritsuka raise a brow, the Avenger turned on him with a glimmer of confusion, as though he was searching for some sort of validation onto his choice. But Ritsuka would not so easily give him that, he was not the one giving Nobunaga anything more than biscuits, same as everyone else.
It sounded cold when phrased as such in his mind.
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"...I believe she would get more use from a tea set." Ash declared, but just as quickly as he had made such a confident remark, the unease crept in once more and he lowered his eyes down. The hand dropped from his chin and back to his side. "Though I do not know how to go about such a thing. I can barely make more than a loaf of bread, let alone making a tea set."
Yes, that did present a slight problem.
Though it was not one without a solution.
Ritsuka nodded his head to the Avenger, parting his hands. "You're quite right on that front, yeah. No offence to your progress but baking bread is probably a bit different to making pottery. Especially since we'd actually need pottery but…"
He knew there was someone he could ask.
That they could both ask.
"I know who to go to." He declared a moment later, jerking his head towards the door. "And she'll probably make a little bit of time to teach you. Though I would warn you here and now that she is definitely going to be a task master for it. She's probably like that."
His fingers drummed on his upper arm.
Tapping quickly, long since turning into a rapid beat that echoed through the silence of the room.
"You're nervous about something."
Kalameet paused at the words, his tapping halted for a brief moment before it resumed once more. He let the sentence hang, but all the same he gave a grunt and a nod of the head. Not trusting himself to speak openly on the subject.
"Do you intend for me to guess what it is that troubles you?" The words that followed were sharp, the demand was plain for all to see.
Kalameet turned his eyes to the speaker and kept them there, watching his dark Sister as she looked back with pale yellow orbs. There was no doubt that she - like the version who rode the horse - could see through his words with but a mere glance and neither of them had much patience.
He held that in high regard.
They got right to the point of the matter without delay.
But on this subject he found himself ill at ease.
"There is a human custom that is fast approaching."
Altoria raised a lone brow to him and said nothing, but disinterest was swiftly entering her vision as she gradually turned her head away from him and back towards the magazine that she held in her hands.
"Where one provides gifts to show appreciation."
"Valentines day?" A slight twitch from the pale blonde, her head turned towards him once more with the book in her hands seemingly forgotten. Her posture straightened a touch. "I see. I had not thought it was so close, but why are you so concerned with the passing of tribute between allies? Do not tell me that your mind is in turmoil for what you would grant to another?"
Whether her words were meant as a joke, he did not have an answer on his tongue.
Instead he turned his eyes from her and looked towards the side of his room, staring upon the paint set without much in the way of speaking. Yet his senses told him of the gaze which was now planted on the side of his head, soon with a scoff echoing through his room and a slight noise of adjusting posture.
"Is this some manner of jape, dragon?" The disbelief was palpable. "You dance about the subject like a boy with his first love. Surely you cannot be so uncertain as to what you would provide for those you have value for…or is it that you have too many you have declared family and would not wish to leave any believing they are more valued than the other?"
"That is…you are not wrong."
He settled on saying, the gaze felt sharper than before.
"A burden of your own making, when you declared you would take all humans as your brothers. I do not believe any version of myself would have watched you walk down such a path without some manner of complaint."
"She was rather open with wanting me to act as more of a King, yes."
Another scoff followed, then the sound of footsteps upon metal, he turned his head to see that Altoria had risen from her seat and turned herself to face him, even through their difference of stature, it was as though she loomed over him, pale eyes pierced through his own with an intensity behind them.
"Then do as you wish and act as you see fit. That is, after all, how you responded to the last holiday celebrated here. Enter the kitchens and create some manner of delicacy to distribute."
"That…" He wet his lips and looked down, the words held sense to them and yet they felt too little. "...I am informed that it is a special day. That those you are close with - those you have tighter bonds with - are the sort where you give them offerings that are of greater value, as a show of the closer sense of family you feel with them."
Altoria nodded her head up and down. "A day that is used for lovers as well, though unless I have missed something, you do not have one of those."
Kalameet furrowed his brows. "I do not have a mate nor have I given the matter any thought, but there are those I have spent more time with. I think of all humans as my brothers and sisters but of their great number…"
It felt wrong to admit it, but there was no other way he could explain it.
"...There are those that I hold more affection for."
"Such is the way of families." Came the blunt response from the pale blonde, shaking her head from side to side. "Between my own flesh and blood sister and the man who served the role as brother from the family I was taken into, I do not doubt which I would consider myself my own true kin."
Kalameet gave but a single blink at the words, finding himself sitting a bit straighter on the stool as he looked to Altoria. There was a silence between them following her words.
"You think of Kay very highly."
Her eyes burned into his own, narrowing. "I did not tell you his name."
"You did not have to. I know all about you, or there enough. Akal told me as such."
Altoria's face twisted for a brief instant before it dropped, her eyes closed and her head shook from side to side. "I cannot find myself surprised by that. She holds a great deal of qualities that I would find upon a certain wizard I know."
"I think your other self said as such too."
"Hmph."
"...So if Kay were here, what would you give him?"
There was a brief twitch, then her eyes snapped open and burned with warning inside of them. She spoke no words, but the aura she unleashed made them pointless. Kalameet knew not to press the issue further, but it was clear she felt strongly for her kin. In the face of that, all he could do was smile towards her and rest his hands on his knees.
"You don't have to tell me, I was just curious."
"Kay does not need tribute from me, nor would he expect it." She replied with only a moment's pause after his own words. Bringing up her arms and folding them over her chest. A roll of her jaw and she continued onwards. "But we are not going to discuss what Kay would or would not do if he was here. Besides, I have little doubt he would trade words with the version that is me…far too corrupted for his memories."
Kalameet frowned. "If he is your brother and your kin, he will care for you regardless of the form you take. I think of you as a sister just as I think of Lily as one."
Altoria frowned deeply. "You are not Kay and your forging of bonds is made simple-"
"That does not mean I treat them carelessly." He rose to his feet, the difference of height became apparent as he looked down upon the smaller blonde.
Silence stretched between them, neither one made an effort to speak, they merely gazed into the eyes of the other.
Eventually, Altoria broke the stalemate. "No, I suppose you do not. Swift as you are to forge these bonds, you do not break them easily. Perhaps that could be considered commendable, if it did not lead to the current predicament you find yourself in."
He did not flinch at her words, though he dearly wished to do so.
A slow blink came from him, his eyes turned from her and towards the ground. "I'm not going to say you are wrong, but all the same-"
"I have no interest in such explanations." She cut him short with a blunt remark. "If you are asking for assistance on this matter, then ask and save us both the dance with words."
Kalameet felt his lip turn at the demand. "I do not know how I would go about presenting a tribute as befits those close to me. I have never done anything like this before and would like to ask if you know what to do. If not…I'll be sure to ask another and see if they have anything."
Altoria looked him over, a short glance but one of meaning.
There was little response from her, she turned from him and paced towards the door, short steps with such little weight behind them, yet the sound of her heels upon the metal floor echoed loud in his ears. Each one like the fierce beat of a drum, when her steps came to a halt, the woman stood before the door to his room, her back to him.
She turned her head. "If you need to ask, then it is not a gift from you. Consider only what you think of when you see these people and then what you would gift them. If it is beyond your ability to do so, then consider the next best. That is all that can be said on the matter."
Her head turned, she departed with nothing further to speak of.
He did not make a move to stop her, nor did he offer any words as an answer.
Kalameet remained silent as he gazed at the now open doors.
His eyes dipped low to the ground once more, she had left him with some curious answers to his questions and those that needed to be thought of longer. To grant the first thing that he thought of when his mind drifted to those with whom he held close bonds with.
Bringing up his hands, they rested upon his hips.
Seconds passed him by, the names focused in his mind.
By all rights, Altoria should have been chief among those names and yet the one in Chaldea and the one whom had fought by him side were not one in the same, not truly.
Not to him.
He valued and loved her as a sister, as the blood of his kin flowed through her veins, yet when he thought of the two…there was a difference between them. A disparity that clouded his thoughts when he considered one and then considered the other.
That was not to say he would grant Altoria nothing, but he knew in his heart that if it had been the one who fought by his side, then it would have been very different. The tribute he would grant to her would have been greater, there was no denying it. Not even to himself, no matter how much he wanted to say otherwise.
The desire to treat all his sisters as equal and yet there was Artoria from his family who rode upon her horse…and she dominated more of his heart than the version who walked with him now.
A long breath escaped him, his eyes closed as he moved forwards and stepped out of his room and into the hallways.
The names jumped to the forefront of his mind, a distraction from the doubt that would have otherwise clouded his thoughts.
Akal.
Vinci.
Olga.
Those three were the chief names, the ones that garnered the most from him.
Each one of those would have greater gifts than the others, gifts that were equal to his thoughts of each and every one of them and yet he did not quite know how he would go about that task.
Akal, who loved stories and tales.
Vinci, who relished creation and imagination.
Olga, who turned the heavens above with mere words.
What could he grant each of them that would be worthy of it?
His feet stayed his body, suddenly weighted greater than even his true shape.
In the cold halls, left to his thoughts, he felt so very small.
Perhaps he would have remained as such until the hours ticked by and the day retreated into the night, though it was not to be at the faint scent that entered his nose. A twitch of the head and his eyes turned, bringing about his head towards the corridors behind him, the sound of metal clanking echoed louder and louder, heralded only by the strong scent of the divine.
It was a few moments of nothing but sound until form accompanied it.
A blonde man, eyes of the brightest red, very similar to his own natural eye, not like the one which could command flesh and spirit. Hair golden and sleek, a hue about it like the rays of the sun.
Armour of gold plate, heavy and well made, certainly when compared to his own.
Silence fell as the man stopped walking, gazing across towards him with arms folded and expression bereft of feeling. A look in the eyes as though they rendered judgement without need for secrecy, but Kalameet could tell at a mere glance what they were akin to.
There was a nature about them like his own sisters.
Royalty.
"...A rather curious mongrel, are you not?" The words came next, their content was insulting and yet the tone was devoid of such. The man strode forwards still, caution but not fear. With a new look, as though seeing something bewildering for the first time in his life.
Perhaps Kalameet had looked as such when he entered a home for the first time.
"Hmph." A twitch of the lip, the blonde paced around him with eyes roaming up and down, Kalameet said nothing and remained stoic with his gaze, never parting nor blinking from the light-touched man. "A beast that shies away from the sight of its betters? I have walked these halls for some days and have seen those of rotten ilk and yet only now do you catch my gaze?"
A light and mocking tone, the man came to a halt and sneered towards him, Kalameet held their gaze without an ounce of emotion on his features.
The urge to react to the words of the man were quite strong, but he held himself back.
At a mere glance, he knew them to be a King which meant they had achieved that which he had failed to do so.
There was nothing he could say to one such as that, nothing that wouldn't embarrass him.
"A well trained beast, are you?" The words flowed forth, the curled lip shifted into a frown. "Is it shame that stays your tongue, creature? Does the sight of your betters truly matter that much to you that you would turn from me as a common peasant would do so?"
"To you, I am no better than a common peasant."
"So you are capable of understanding the common tongue." A low grunt and a quiet scoff, "You walk like a man, but if you had the intellect of a beast I would have your legs pulled from your body for having me speak with thought to one without them."
Kalameet rolled his jaw, ignoring the threat. "Is there something that you wished to ask of me, King?"
A raised brow, the man angled his head backwards and looked at him with a different gaze.
One that he could not place.
"Ho? So there is some keen nature to your sight. You do not know me and yet already you can tell I am a King? Perhaps there is something of value within that tainted head of yours that you can discern such a thing with a glance…unless you can see only such things because of past experience."
A frown, though one not aimed at himself.
"I shall provide you this single warning. Compare me to a lesser King and I shall have your tongue for such disrespect. You stand in the presence of the only true King to ever walk the world of man…and it is by my whim that your presence is even tolerated within my garden."
Kalameet straightened, something within him flared.
"Insult me as you wish…But I shall suffer no insults against my sister. She was as much a King as you are."
"And yet you were not one of her subjects, so what does the word of a creature not even from her Kingdom matter to me? What weight is carried behind such a loud declaration?"
"Her life as a King is proof enough for me."
That brought a mocking scoff from the blonde. "Is the title alone that which earns your respect? You insult Kings and Queens alike by believing all those who hold the position are of equal value. There are many who doomed their homes through their mere existence. Surely you would not claim your sister is equal to them."
Kalameet's lips came in and out. "Whether they brought doom or not, they were still Kings."
The eyes of the man narrowed, a danger held within them.
"Careful there, creature." A low tone of voice, full of warning. "You may hold whatever foolish thoughts you wish, but you would do well not to give them a voice. It makes you look a fool and insults others to be near you. You would do well to heed this, more so if you hold any ounce of respect for this sister of yours."
Then a twitch of the lips, as though finding some amusement. "I would have been content to let you degrade yourself and her were it not for the face you would drag me through the mud with you. I will not have my name sullied in such a way."
He did not even know the name of this man to ask how it had been sullied, though it was clear to him they held a high opinion of themselves.
Was this truly how Akal and Artoria had wanted him to act when he served as ruler?
…He doubted he could manage such things.
His lips pulled down into a frown as he turned himself away, though kept his eyes on the man. "If you want only to throw insults-"
"I came to inspect some of the travellers who thought to enter my garden and determine their worth."
A scoff and a shake of the head.
"Some have held greater interest than others."
Kalameet pinched his brought tight. "And which am I?" he asked.
The golden haired man did not wait long in answering. "You remain to be seen. It depends on the reason you have come out of your chambers. I shall not believe you would skulk there for so long and then emerge for little reason."
"Do you truly care?"
"I shall decide what I do and do not care for."
Was that so?
"...It is Valentines day soon and I have plans to-"
The expression of the man turned from frustration into incredulity, then finally ended with mirth as a smile stretched across his face. His head was thrown backwards and his laugh echoed off the walls around them, long and loud.
Kalameet saw nothing that was amusing about it, his patience stretched thin and his eyes started to burn with irritation at the words and the actions of the one before him. His hands felt hot as they clenched into fists and he barely stopped himself from peeling his lips back. The scowl on his face could not be stopped.
"You would emerge for a day in which bonds are celebrated? Fuhahahahaha!" Another bout of laughter rippled from the back of the man's throat, he brought forth an arm and gave a sweeping wave with it towards him. "A truly amusing notion! Very well then, I shall allow this to transpire before I form an opinion. Show me how a dragon such as yourself treats those who have entered his good graces!"
Kalameet paused, his eyes narrowed into slits. "How did you know-?"
"Fool! You think I cannot see what you truly are? You are not the only one who can gaze at the obvious…A dragon you remain, even with that foul taint that resides within your heart." The words were coupled with a dark frown, a narrowed gaze aimed for his chest.
Kalameet dipped his head and looked down at himself, then brought it back up and scowled deeper than before. "That foul taint is the very reason I am here now. Call it whatever you want but it is what made me different from the rest of my kin. It is what granted me clarity on the world to see it for what it was."
"Is that right?" A raised brow, then an inclined head. "Very well then, creature. If you have shaped that curse into something of value, then I shall watch and wait…Go forth and provide mighty prizes for whomever has claimed your heart."
"Do you consider my bonds amusing?"
The face of the man turned blank, devoid of emotion. "Fool. Only by gazing at the measure of ones allies can you determine their worth…This goes more so for Kings than any other."
His brows twitched, the irritation turned into intrigue. "Then what manner of brothers did you have?"
"...One."
"So few?"
The Golden man sent him a dark look. "If they are truly valuable, then all you require is one. The more that are formed, the thinner their value becomes…But you act as a pack beast, then that is your own choice. If they are true bonds, then you may form as many as you wish…but understand that none are equal."
Kalameet twitched, the eyes of the golden man narrowed as his expression turned flat.
"Or perhaps that is a lesson you are learning now? Celebrate this holiday as you wish but dare not forget who holds the closest bond to your heart."
"...They must have been quite fortunate to have one who cared for them as deeply as you, that you would not call any other a kin."
He received no words, the man turned from him and strode away, ending the conversation then and there.
Kalameet let them go, watching them depart.
Though he spoke before they could completely leave.
"Is the life of a King truly so lonely?"
He was not sure he would get an answer.
But the man did stop for only a moment, though he did not turn his head or even face him.
"...That would depend upon the King."
And he walked on.
Kalameet rolled his lips and then turned away.
His mind drifted back to his own nature and the day that would be fast approaching.
His closest bonds, but the one that was one of the closest was not here.
He would not replace her with one who was nearly the same but not quite.
So he would hold his gift until she came here, the others would receive what they were due and that was that.
But…he did not know where to begin.
Perhaps those that knew the people better would have more for him?
But then there were the words of Altoria on the subject.
If it was at the suggestion of another, was it truly a gift from himself?
…He did not know, but he did not wish to spend days camped out in his room, waiting for an idea to strike him. He would learn more about his brethren from those who had been with them longer than he, those that knew them better than he, and when he knew all that was worth knowing, he would form the greatest gifts of all.
Yes.
That was what he would do.