Journey To Castle Csejte Chapter 1:
Missing Companion
October 24th, 2015
It was another peaceful day in Chaldea's halls, everyone was preparing the decorations for this year's Halloween party. Mummerings and excited whispers rang throughout, everyone trying to decide what to dress up as for that fateful day. It was here that the Chaldean Trio were within Ritsuka's room, simply hanging out, and enjoying themselves, or rather the girls were at the very least. They saw Ritsuka's new dart board, with the black haired teen throwing darts with intense focus at a drawing of a man (who was clearly drawn by someone else instead of Ritsuka), who's crotch was placed right at the bull's eye.
The drawing was of an older man with white hair and an unkempt beard, the style of his hair resembling a lion's mane. In the picture, this older man wore immaculate clothes, as if he were pretending to be a noble. But to the girls, it felt as if those clothes would be better suited for a much more worthy and kinder man, his smile and yellow eyes brimming with a sleazy aura and sinister intent. Despite the finery he wore, they could clearly tell that the man in the drawing was someone they did not want to be left alone with.
The girls watched as Ritsuka took a deep breath, and threw another dart at the photo, only for the dart to hit it in the chest. The black haired Master cursed under his breath and hissed, he missed his mark again.
"Is that someone you know?" Tatsuko asked.
"Unfortunately yes." Ritsuka said, his voice hard and stoney.
"Who is he?"
"Just an animal, and that's all I'll say about that thing for now lest I really get ticked off."
"I understand, Senpai…" Mashu said. "I know that feeling all too well."
Tatsuko looked at the Shielder for a moment and saw something that looked like a hint of coldness and hatred, but just as quickly, the lilac haired girl's eyes brimmed with kindness once more. "M-maybe you should sit down and take a break from that, Ritsuka. We don't want to get too caught up on one thing after all."
"I guess." Ritsuka said. The black haired teen decided to throw one last dart, and smiled and chuckled sinisterly as he hit the bull's eye, right where the man's crotch was. The boy then sat down next to Tatsuko as Mashu took her seat on the other couch. "So, I guess everyone's getting ready for Halloween."
"Hell yeah!" Tatsuko said excitedly. "I can't believe Halloween is just around the corner!"
"Yes. It is, indeed, that russet-colored season now." Mashu said. "In Japan, it would be the time for viewing autumn foliage."
"I've only heard of viewing parties," Ritsuka replied. "But I do think it would be nice to participate."
"So Ritsuka, what are you planning on going as this year?" Tatsuko asked.
Ritsuka looked at the female Master with absolute confusion. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
Tatsuko raised an eyebrow. "Ummmm, what are you going to be dressed as for Halloween?"
"Huh, I…..actually never gave it much thought," Ritsuka said. "I never got the chance to do that at all before…"
"Are you saying you never celebrated Halloween before?" Mashu asked.
Ritsuka shook his head. "It wasn't exactly the best time of year for anyone."
The girls looked at him in concern. It was clear something was wrong, though Tatsuko wasn't going to be patient this time. She cleared her throat and stared at the male Master. "Let me guess, Halloween is a traumatic time for you?"
"I wouldn't go that far." Ritsuka said. "It's just Doc and I never really celebrated it like normal people would. And for very good reason."
"And what could possibly be the reason?"
"That time of year was particularly dangerous to go out in Shinkaichi." Ritsuka said. "I mean, on normal days if someone got attacked or mugged, they could at least recognize their assailant. But on Halloween with people wearing full costumes? You'd never know who it could be. What's worse is that lots of people would use this to their advantage to never get caught."
Tatsuko shivered. "Okay, that's….yeah that's a pretty good reason. So I assume that you never wore a costume during that time?"
Ritsuka shook his head. "I wasn't even allowed outside the clinic on Halloween night because of the risks. A small child would have been…easy pickings. Especially to…unsavory sorts."
"You can't be serious…"
Ritsuka nodded. "That's why I never complained to Doc about it. It was much more safe inside the clinic than out there."
"That is so sad….." Mashu muttered. "But then how did you celebrate Halloween if you could not partake in trick or treating?"
"Oh we had our ways." Ritsuka said with a smile. "Doc had this old cruddy television for patients to watch something while they waited. So she'd turn it on and we'd watch 'scary movies'. It was actually kind of fun."
"What kind of movies?" Tatsuko asked.
"Some old scary Japanese movies, some standard slasher flicks. Funny stuff like that."
Tatsuko raised an eyebrow. "Funny? Wouldn't they have scared you as a kid?"
Ritsuka chuckled lightly. "Not even once. I found them more stupid fun than anything else. Seriously, the amount of times they would forget about basic human anatomy is astonishing."
"But what about people that came to the clinic?" Mashu asked.
"Oh, we'd treat them and keep the TV running so they could watch too." Ritsuka answered. "You know, to alleviate their boredom and keep them quiet, and to stop their racist comments towards us."
"Well I can see how that's a fair trade." Tatsuko said. "Say Mashu, have you seen any horror movies?"
Mashu nodded. "There are some I see as entertaining, but there are two movie franchises that I just despise."
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow. "You? Despising something?"
Mashu nodded. "I only started to feel that way a couple of months ago, long after I watched them, but even when I first saw them I felt like I just could not stand them."
"What are they?" Tatsuko asked.
"Saw, and Hellraiser."
"Wow, those are classics." Tatsuko muttered. "Why do you hate them?"
Mashu exhaled sharply. "The Saw Franchise is just…I cannot say I like Jigsaw over his philosophy. His view that one should appreciate their lives is sound, but his way of putting people through deadly traps for those that don't is just…..twisted, cruel and downright hypocritical."
Ritsuka and Tatsuko looked at the shielder with slight surprise. That was definitely not what they were imagining she would say. Ritsuka recovered himself and cleared his throat. "Okay, well how about Hellraiser? I'm genuinely curious because I'm not really a fan of that series either."
Mashu flinched and shyly clutched her left arm. "I would rather not talk about it…. So please let us just leave it at that."
Ritsuka nodded. "Sure thing."
A knock on the door caused them to jump up a bit, but as soon as they calmed down, they had a good snicker before Ritsuka turned to face the door. "It's unlocked."
The door hissed open and Mata Hari, wearing a black shirt that showed off parts of her shoulders and bared her midriff, and red short shorts that complimented her long luscious legs.
"Oh, that's a cute outfit, Margaretha!" Tatsuko said. "Got a hot date lined up?"
Mata Hari giggled. "No, no date. I just bought these because I thought they were cute."
"Well they look nice." Mashu said, "So, how can we help you, Margaretha?"
"Oh, I was just passing by and wanted to see how you're all doing." Mata Hari answered.
"Well in that case, how about you stay and hang out?" Tatsuko asked. "We got plenty of snacks and books if you'd like."
"Oh that sounds lovely!" Mata Hari said. As the beautiful Assassin was about to sit down, Ritsuka's vent burst open, revealing Kiyohime as she popped out of the hole.
"Kiyohime!" Ritsuka shouted. "Why did you pop out of there?!"
"I am sorry Anchin, but I do not have the time to explain!" Kiyohime answered. "Have any of you seen Fou?!"
The Trio and Mata Hari looked at each other in confusion for a few moments, before they realized that they hadn't seen Fou all day. Mashu's eyes widened in concern, and everyone felt it within them. Without uttering a word, all five of them left Ritsuka's room, but Mata Hari stopped for a moment, turning back and noted the dart board before taking her leave. The five of them split up in different directions to cover more ground, and each one of them called out Fou's name and asked others if they had seen him. None have confirmed if they had seen him, but soon the amount of people looking for the little critter increased, with a huge portion going underground to Animusphere City to continue the search. A couple of hours had passed, but unfortunately no sign of Fou could be found down there. The five original seekers met up at the center of the town, winded and nervous.
"Any luck?" Tatsuko asked.
"I couldn't find him at the park." Ritsuka said.
"He wasn't at the pool either." Mata Hari answered. "Boudicca's checking the castle as we speak, but I doubt he's there."
"Empress Nero and I checked the woods and the cafe's, and he wasn't in either place." Kiyohime answered. "How about you, my dear Anchin."
"No luck on my end either." Ritsuka replied.
"He was not even at his favorite bacon store….." Mashu muttered.
Ritsuka saw the concerned look on the Shielder's face and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he's around somewhere. We'll find him."
"Anchin is right." Kiyohime said. "We will tear this place apart if it means finding him."
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Everyone's eyes widened in shock and annoyance. Of all the times for a Singularity to appear, it had to be now?! They had no choice but to respond. Everyone immediately rushed towards the elevator to go to the Command Room, with Mata Hari switching out of her cute and sexy outfit into her usual Servant attire. A few minutes later after getting out of the elevator, they reached the Command Room, and they saw Carmilla and Iris waiting for them alongside Roman and Da Vinci.
"So what's the situation?" Mata Hari asked.
"Minor singularity appeared." Iris answered.
"Yeah, but where?" Ritsuka asked.
"Here, let's look at the footage." Da Vinci said. The Caster brought up some images of the Singularity in question, and all they could see were dark forests, an ominous moon, and very dark and intimidating lighting. "Not much to go on, but it seems to be in Hungary."
"Hungary? That's way too stereotypical." Tatsuko replied.
"No no, it's definitely Hungary." A voice rang out. Everyone turned around and saw Liz appear into the room wearing a very adorable witch outfit, with a trident in hand. The Lancer walked towards them, and pointed to the woods. "I know those woods very well, and I think Ms. Virgin bather over here can agree."
Carmilla wrinkled her nose at the comment but soon clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Loathe as I am to admit it, she is right, that is indeed Hungary."
"How do you know those woods, lizard girl?" Kiyohime asked.
"I have a name you know!" Liz shouted. "However, if you must know, it's because that particular forest is close to my old castle."
"It also leads to several towns that are not really of importance to us." Carmilla added.
"Well there's more to this than we thought." Roman said. The acting Director pushed a button on the consoles, and a small blip appeared on a radar. "We don't know where exactly, but we found Fou's signature within the Singularity."
Mashu breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness, he is okay."
"Unfortunately it doesn't seem that way." Meuniere said. "We have footage of what happened, and you're not going like it."
The blonde Chaldean brought up several footage cameras around the Grail Room, with Fou sniffing around it a few hours earlier. The little critter soon jumped in astonishment and jumped around with hostility before a glowing light enveloped him, and he disappeared completely. Everyone gasped in fear and astonishment as they finally learned what happened.
"Oh my god….Fou's been Founapped!" Tatsuko shouted.
Silence filled the room as everyone turned to see Mashu and Ritsuka, both of them had one eye twitching each, their bodies shaking in anger. Soon, both of them let out demonic roars and shrieks that filled the room.
"WhO dArEs TaKe My FoU?!" Mashu shouted, her voice becoming deep, guttural and demonic. "I sHaLl TeAr HuNgArY aPaRt UnTiL I fInD HiM!"
"I sHaLl HuNt ThE sCuM wHo HaRmS hIm!" Ritsuka shouted, his voice even deeper and menacing. "BlOoD sHaLl Be SpIlT!"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock and fear. They have never seen either of them like this before, and it was terrifying, at least for some.
"Holy Khorne, those are some scary voices." Henry whispered.
"A-anyway, we don't have confirmation that he's been harmed." Da Vinci said. "For all we know, he's probably fine."
The lilac haired girl and Ritsuka soon stopped their rampage, and stared at the Caster, their eyes calming down. After taking a few deep breaths, they composed themselves and returned to their work mode behavior.
"Okay, so not only do we have to get the Grail making this Singularity, but also rescue Fou." Ritsuka said. "We're going to need to get a team ready ASAP."
"Then I suggest both Liz and Lady Carmilla go with you." Roman said. "That is, if you both are okay with that."
"Not like we have much choice." Liz said.
"I shall play nice, for now." Carmilla grumbled. "As long as she recognizes my authority as the Lead Servant."
"I'm sorry, but who put you in charge?!" Liz shouted.
"As if I would follow your commands." Carmilla countered. "And since both of us know the area, it only stands to reason I take charge."
"She….does have a point." Mata Hari said. "In that case, I'd like to join too."
"Then we shall make you vice captain." Da Vinci said. "You'd be a good counter balance in the event Liz and Carmilla get too caught up in their disagreements."
"Sounds good to me." Liz replied.
"Oh oh, allow me to go too!" Kiyohime said. "I'd like to be around Anchin some more!"
"That's a great idea." Ritsuka said. "Kiyohime would bring some much needed firepower in case we get into a scrap."
"Then allow us to make one last addition." Roman replied. "Iris, we'd like for you to go with Ritsuka and the team."
"Oh so I'm getting the chance to rayshift eh?" Iris asked. "Heh, well I was supposed to be part of one of the teams made for this work anyway before the injury, so it'll be nice to see what it's actually like."
"Wait, you're able to Rayshift?" Tatsuko asked. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"No one asked." Roman answered. "As Iris said, she was supposed to be on one of the Ray shifting teams long ago, but due to her injury, she had to be taken off the roster."
"Are you sure you are okay with this?" Ritsuka asked Iris.
"Aye, I'll be fine." Iris answered. "Oh, and before I forget, Da Vinci tuned up Tokiomi's staff for you to allow it to be better suited for your needs. And she replaced the crystal so you can use it as your own."
The green haired woman handed Ritsuka the staff he took from the last Singularity, and nodded in approval. As much as he felt annoyed at Tokiomi, if it weren't for this staff activating when it did, he doubts he would have been able to pin Zouken down.
"Are you going to be okay taking orders from a kid like me?" Ritsuka asked.
"If you're concerned that I aim to take over, then you don't have to worry." Iris answered. "I'm not really leadership material anyway."
"Well, if we're all done here, we should get going." Carmilla said, a hint of dismissal in her voice. "The sooner we get done with this, the sooner we can get back."
"Agreed." Ritsuka said, gripping his staff tighter. "Is everything ready?"
"We have everything warmed up." Roman said. Without saying anything, Mashu rushed towards her pod, and everyone slowly followed suit. The lilac haired girl closed the door to it, and watched as everyone prepared their pods. As soon as the last person was inside, the engineers and specialists prepared for their Rayshifting process. As the coffins hummed to life, Mashu took several deep breaths and saw that Ritsuka's pod was right across from her, and he stared back at her, also showing a level of concern and uncertainty that she had. She soon closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, her heartbeat racing.
She could only hope Fou was okay, she didn't know what she'd do if he were hurt…..
Day 1
The winds on the plains of Hungary blew harder and harder as the Rayshifting disturbed their peaceful melody. As soon as the winds died down, the Chaldean team took a moment to acclimate their surroundings, and Mashu made sure her Demi-Servant form was prepared.
"Okay, it seems we made it just fine." Ritsuka said. The black haired Master turned to Carmilla and Liz with a curious gaze. "So do either of you know where exactly we are?"
"Oh, allow me to try and figure it out!" Liz said as she adjusted her witch's hat. The Lancer stared at the stars pointing at them with her trident. The girl hummed to herself as she pinpointed each star in the night sky, she could figure it out before that darned Assassin, and get the praise unlike that blood crazed old bat! "Aha! We're-"
"There's a road here that'll take us to the nearest town." Carmilla said, interrupting her Lancer counterpart with a smirk. "There we can hopefully find some suitable beauty products."
Mata Hari stared at the Assassin with a hint of suspicion, her arms crossed against her chest. Carmilla sighed and exhaled sharply. "It was a mere jest."
"Not a particular funny joke if you ask me." Mata Hari replied.
"Oh come now, wouldn't you like to enhance that beauty of yours?" Carmilla asked, a sinister smile forming on her face. The white haired Assassin closed the distance and traced a finger under Mata Hari's chin. "I can tell you'd be…..very alluring if you take my advice."
Mata Hari flashed her own devious grin, and gently pushed aside the finger. "You make a compelling argument, but be careful Carmilla. I might go both ways, but you're not exactly my type of girl."
Carmilla sighed and shrugged. "Shame, but if that is your way I won't press further."
"Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?!" Liz shouted.
"Yes." Carmilla said coldly.
"Oh, sorry Liz." Mata Hari said. "I'll make it up to you later with some delicious food!"
Liz sighed and gripped her trident. "I guess that will be fine…"
"If we're done standing around, can we get to that village?" Iris asked. "I don't think we should linger here much longer."
"Then follow me." Carmilla said. "I know exactly which town is up ahead."
As Carmilla and Iris made their way to the road, Ritsuka turned to Liz, seeing her deflated face. "You know, I've been meaning to say this, but you look good in that costume, Liz."
The Lancer's eyes lit up, a small smile appearing on her face. "Really?"
"He's right!" Mata Hari replied. "Did you make it yourself?"
"Not exactly…Uncle Vlad did the majority of the work. I mainly did the sketches."
"Wait, that man can sew?" Kiyohime asked as she and the others walked to catch up with Carmilla and Iris.
"Yeah, I was simply drawing the costume and he saw it and volunteered to make it." Liz answered.
"Huh, I didn't expect him to do that." Mata Hari said. "I guess he's got many talents."
As the group reconvened on the road, they broke into several small circles to converse amongst themselves. Ritsuka talked to Iris and Mata Hari, while Kiyohime took to the front to speak to Carmilla. Mashu was left alone with Liz, and the Lancer took note of Mashu's posture, and knew that she seemed to be in distress.
"I'm sure Fou will be fine." Liz said. "He's a smart dog….squirrel….. thing."
Mashu sighed and slumped her shoulders. "I guess you are right. He has to be fine."
"You're really worried about him, we can see that." Liz replied. "I heard you met him last year after a rough week right? Care to elaborate?"
Mashu stopped for a few moments, taking a deep breath as she tried to make sure no one else could hear. She turned on her communicator with a pained look in her eyes. "Dr. Roman, can you cut the feed and my audio for a few moments? I would like this conversation to remain private…"
Roman nodded, his own face twisted in discomfort, something Liz noticed. Whatever this was, if Roman knew about it, it wasn't going to be pleasant…..
As soon as the deed was done, Mashu exhaled sharply and made sure to remain as quiet as possible, lest the others here. "As I am sure you were aware, but I was made a part of Team A last year."
"Okay? What does this have to do with Fou?"
"It is….a long story, one that begins technically three years ago…" Mashu corrected. "You see, there was another person on Team A, a man who had Director Marisbury's approval….. He was not a good person, and had a particular interest in me, at least until Dr. Roman had to step in. Afterwards, I thought it was the end of it, until last year I was approved to be a part of Team A…..and I had to be in the same team as that…..that thing."
"Sounds like he was a piece of work" Liz's said calmly.
"I did not think so beforehand, but looking back on it, he really was not a good person …." Mashu said, her voice becoming colder as her hand clenched into a fist. "In any case, he ceased to be an issue for a while until I was approved to be a part of Team A…and I would have to work with him…."
"What the heck?!" Liz shouted. "How come Roman didn't raise hell about that?!"
"He did. He talked to Director Olga about removing said member, but she said that the restraining order from three years ago would be sufficient, and if they did act up again, she would kick them out personally."
"Well….that's something I guess." Liz said. "Did the other members know?"
"No, they did not." Mashu answered. "Only Dr. Roman, Da Vinci and Henry know the full story. So did Director Marisbury, but he is no longer with us."
"And I doubt you want to say what exactly happened?"
"No." Mashu said sternly. "I do not want to talk about it at all."
"I guess that's fair." Liz replied. "And I guess Fou found you when you were scared that entire week?"
Mashu nodded. "And ever since then, he and I were inseparable."
"Until now…." Liz muttered. "I can see why you reacted the way you did in the Command Room."
"W-was I really that out of control?" Mashu asked, her face turning slightly flushed.
"I saw Tatsuko recording you and Ritsuka screeching like banshees over his disappearance." Liz said. "She can show it to you later if you want."
Mashu felt her ears grow hot and her face turned red out of embarrassment. "I-I think I may have overstepped….."
"I don't think so." Liz said with a shrug. "Fou has been a very important part of your life, and has been a constant companion. If I were in your shoes, I'd be torturing anyone who might have information on his whereabouts!"
"Torture? I do not think that is necessary!" Mashu said.
"Hey, I'm just saying that's what I'd do." Liz replied. "In any event, what do you think of my costume? You never gave your opinion."
"I think you look great, Liz. You look like a real witch!"
Liz chuckled haughtily. "Yes yes, I know I'm beautiful! Praise me more!"
Mashu couldn't help but giggle and laugh alongside the Lancer as they continued to talk about Liz's outfit. The lilac haired girl felt her heart lighten up a bit, even as uncertainty continued to grip it. Wherever Fou was, she could only hope he was okay and found safety.
Two hours into their journey to the first town, and everyone broke into new groups in order to stave off the boredom but also keep an eye on the most volatile members of the team. Mata Hari decided to hang back and speak to Liz and Mashu, while Kiyohime and Carmilla decided to converse with each other, a strange moment in Ritsuka's eyes, but one that he welcomed regardless. He always thought Kiyohime needed to make new friends, and seeing her converse with Carmilla was an interesting sight to behold. He, on the other hand, traveled alongside Iris, and noticed her limping, relying on her shillelagh to keep the pace with him. The black haired boy was curious about what could have caused it, thanks to his medical background, but his mind urged restraint. Despite having talked to her a bit in the past couple of months, he still didn't know her that well in order to pry that information.
"You don't have to be shy," Iris said calmly. "I'm comfortable talking about my leg injury."
"Sorry, I didn't want to jump the gun and say something reckless." Ritsuka replied.
Iris chuckled. "I appreciate it."
"I am curious about something though. Why is it that you don't use your shillelagh to support you every time you move?" Ritsuka asked. "Leg injuries like this don't really heal that well."
"Ah, that's easy." Iris replied. "The short answer is that I did for the first few months after my leg got ruined, but after that my leg recovered enough that I can at least walk a bit without it before I need to get some support. It'll never get better than this though…."
"Damn, sorry to hear that. But how did you get it?"
"I got it in a training exercise that went wrong." Iris answered. "I was pitted against a member of Team A in a battle simulation, and during that match, they shattered my leg."
Ritsuka's eyes widened in horror and disgust. "What the bloody hell?! Why would they-"
"It was an accident." Iris countered. "In fact he felt really bad about what happened and helped me during my physical therapy."
"O-oh…." Ritsuka muttered. "Sounds like it was just one big mess for everyone."
"Aye, Roman still did give them an earful about the situation, and they definitely owned up to it." Iris said. "In any event, my leg is permanently crippled, and I was reassigned after that."
"Which team were you supposed to be in?" Ritsuka asked.
"Team B. I was mainly supposed to be their support and their bestiary expert."
"Well at least you get to fill one of those roles regardless."
A small smile appeared on Iris's lips. "Personally I do prefer being in my workshop, but I do love seeing the Phantasmal Beasts and regular animals in their natural habitats."
"I guess Okeanos scratched that itch for you." Ritsuka replied.
"That it did. Though I do think that we could have done without you guys encountering the Ravenous Dreadlord…."
A shiver ran down Ritsuka's spine as his skin went pale. "I swear if we see another one of those…."
"Yeah, I'm not really liking that idea either."
"Also I've been meaning to ask…" Ritsuka said hesitantly. "Can you really talk to animals?"
"Oh I would like to know the answer too!" Kiyohime chimed.
Carmilla couldn't help but sigh. "Such a childish question…..why would anyone care?"
"Because it sounds cool." Ritsuka countered. "So can you really talk to them?"
"Aye, I can." Iris answered. "And no, I'm not gonna teach you how to do so. Family secrets and all."
"Fair enough. It still sounds pretty neat."
"Oh oh, what animal do you enjoy speaking to the most?" Kiyohime asked.
"That's easy." Iris replied. "That would have to be squirrels."
"Squirrels?" Carmilla asked in slight disbelief. "Normally I'd just balk at such a silly notion…but I cannot help but be intrigued."
"The answer is simple." Iris said. "Squirrels talk more than just nuts and foraging. They have more distinct personalities than people think. I knew a squirrel that was very posh and haughty, and another squirrel that would make himself home in a bar with a nice mug of beer in his hands….paws…ah, you know what I mean."
"Then…. What is the animal you hate talking to the most?" Carmilla asked.
"Snakes." Iris said coldly. "Especially the venomous ones…."
"But I'm a snake…." Kiyohime said. "So are the Gorgon sisters….."
"Don't worry, I don't hate talking to you or them." Iris replied. "I'm just saying that regular snakes are very prone to lying or outright hostility."
"Lying? So I guess snakes being synonymous with backstabbing rings true in the animal kingdom as well." Carmilla said.
"You don't know how accurate it really is."
"Sounds like a drama waiting to happen." Ritsuka muttered.
"I'm not going to go into details." Iris said.
"In that case, how much farther are we to the nearest town, Carmilla?" Ritsuka asked.
"It should be about an hour more before we reach it." The white haired Assassin answered flatly.
"So, how does it feel being here?" Kiyohime asked. "Any feelings of hurt or pain? Love? Joy?"
Carmilla's eyes flitted across the landscape, her yellow eyes widening ever so slightly at the recognition before she closed them to silence those thoughts.
"Love? Well, I suppose I did meet my husband in a place like this; a literal lifetime ago. The trees were different though, and there wasn't quite the same sensation of festivity; far more quiet and serene." replied Carmilla, voice cool and casual.
"Aha, your beloved?" asked Kiyohime excitedly, romance cruising through the younger woman's mind, "Leave it up to a mature beauty like Carmilla to have a husband in life…"
The woman smirked ever so slightly, a suppressed giggle in her throat the only sign visible to the rest.
"It was an arranged marriage; as the daughter of a higher breed, it was only natural to solidify the alliance of our families' lands through marriage. So, of course, I performed my duty admirably and managed our joint estate while he was away at war." explained Carmilla.
It was as if she was reciting from a textbook or journal entry, with her personal passion not a detail that was worth divulging.
"Oho, you say that but…" whispered Kiyohime, her eyes narrowing as she smelled the wisp of a lie, "Something tells me he rather liked the way you dressed for him when he returned, did he not?"
Carmilla's face attempted to suppress a smirk, her pale, porcelain, skin lightening ever so slightly from a rush of blood to her face. It was a good memory, she recalled. One of her friends had shared some absolutely scandalous evening wear she designed for the bed chambers. It showed off her perfect curves while making her look like a rider about to break a horse's will…
"W-Well, I suppose he did have good taste…" answered Carmilla, attempting to regain some of her noble composure, "I mean, consummating a marriage is part of a wife's duties. If we also happened to indulge in some…other enjoyments, that was just two consenting adults…"
Carmilla looked down at her long blue nails, remembering the yelps of joy and pain from her late husband when she ran them across his back…
"Fufufu, how romantic! I'm certain Anchin would love to practice such acts! I remember his screams from the burning bell had to come from love!" added Kiyohime.
"Ummmm, I don't think those are comparable…." Ritsuka said.
"Hehe, do not worry Anchin, I know what you like…." Kiyohime retorted.
"Yes yes! The red-hot pokers were always the sign of a wonderful night!" exclaimed Carmilla, biting her lip as her face bloomed into elation, "I remember we conceived our third and fourth child those nights…"
"Ahh! Children with the man you love!" squealed Kiyohime, "They say a child conceived from love is destined to have a happy life!"
The two seemed to connect from a strange source, thought Ritsuka. It would be prudent to keep Mashu from being influenced by them in the future. Iris also decided to avoid the two, mentally confirming with Ritsuka that they should continue their discussion away from the Servants for now. In doing so, the last hour of their trip went by quickly and without any more awkward discussions. Carmilla sensed that they were closing in, something that Liz picked up as well, and as if they both knew what the other was thinking, almost raced towards the best vantage point to try and beat the other in showing them their destination. Liz, in her impatience reached it first, giving a haughty smirk at Carmilla, something the white haired Assassin sneered at while scoffing. Liz was about to tell everyone of the town, but when she saw it, her eyes widened in shock and confusion. "What the heck?!"
"What's wrong?" Mata Hari asked.
"The town….it's….I can't even describe what I'm seeing."
The others rushed to see what was wrong, but the moment they did so, they nearly did a double take at what they saw. The entire town was decorated from the rooftops to the very streets in Halloween decorations, with pumpkins and scarecrows all around.
"Okay, I'm no expert in Hungarian history or anything, but I'm pretty sure this isn't normal at this time period." Iris said.
"No, no it is not." Liz replied. "Still, we would do well to go down there and gather information on the situation."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Kiyohime asked. "We should go down there and ask around for Fou."
"Not so fast." Carmilla said. "We will do no such thing until we change."
"Change? I do not follow." Mashu said.
"Silly girl, you would stand out like weeds if you go dressed in your current outfits." Carmilla said. "Especially the boy with his rags, and Mata Hari with her…."
"Hey!" yelled the black haired Master and Mata Hari.
"Do not give me that tone, the boy is dressed too outlandish, and while Mata Hari has a good sense of fashion and allure, she would draw too much attention with how much skin she shows." Carmilla said coldly. "Honestly you probably should have prepared better clothes to blend in, Ms. Kyrielight."
Mashu gasped. "Actually I might have something for everyone! My shield has a compartment solely made to hold disguises."
Mata Hari sighed in defeat. "I guess we have no choice…..let's find somewhere to get changed and meet at the gates."
"Oh, I think I know of a good spot!" Liz said. "Follow me!"
The Lancer nearly knocked Carmilla over, something that the Assassin scowled at as she watched the others follow her. The white haired woman took one last glimpse at the town, and took note of the inhabitants. Something was off here, but what it was, she could not say. Whatever the situation, however, this was her homeland, and whoever trifled with it would pay dearly for their transgressions.
(OC and Yatsu finishing putting up the Halloween decorations, both of them wearing a Wolverine and Deadpool costume, and two beers on the table to pass the time)
OC: Well, looks like everything is set.
Y: Hrmm, this brings back fond memories. I wonder if we'll be able to do the thing?
OC: Who knows? The day's still young. In any case, we have some commentary for this chapter, and we had incredible timing that this chapter finally comes out just as Halloween is upon us. Timing really seemed to be on our side.
Y: Definitely. Halloween really came up at a good time. I also passed a very important exam, so that's even more celebration. Have been getting swol for the past month, and going pretty well. Stronk Yatsu
OC: That you did. And onto scene one. Not much happened, but we showed that Mashu is finally expressing distaste for certain things, which is good. Oddly enough that entire horror movie convo was a rough draft I made two years ago, so it was nice to use one of those after so long.
Y: Mhmm, it slotted in pretty well. And yes, dislikes are a very important detail for characters. It should influence the character's personality and actions.
OC: Indeed, and more importantly, Fou has been kidnapped! This is more important than the Singularities! How else is Chaldea to survive without their floofy mascot!
Y: Fou is absolutely important. The success of the mission is completely dependent on Fou's floof being present the entire time. Mofu mofu
OC: And as for the team, we all knew that Liz and Carmilla would be part of this. But for the others, we decided on them based on our interests, and also for chemistry. The blue haired mana- I mean…ugh….Kiyohime… was the last addition, but I wanted to get her character arc started sooner than later in order to make it more satisfying for everyone. Mata Hari was quite literally the first one we wanted on the team because Mata Hari does deserve more screentime, and we both knew immediately that with Carmilla and the two wacky reptiles (Liz and Kiyohime), she'd be the perfect counterbalance to keep everyone together. She will be quite literally the heart of this team and help morale. And then there is Iris.
I know some people might gripe that an OC character is replacing Tatsuko for this Singularity, but we both thought expanding on her character during a Singularity would be for the best. That and it would allow us to delve more into the past teams of Chaldea, and what they were like from one of the survivor's point of view. That and we both had fun writing her so we decided to give her a large role here. It won't be a common occurrence that this happens, we promise, but we do like experimenting.
Y: The events are a good place to develop some of the Chaldea personnel, I think it's fairly organic and allows for good interactions during the events. Particularly since a lot of early events had…dead moments where things basically just happen to close everything up by wrap-up day. Though the Liz event also had the highly amusing guerilla events that caused the servers to crash…
OC: Crashing huh, never experienced that with any Halloween event. In any event, for those wondering why Liz is still a Lancer here instead of Caster, it's because again, we aren't always making the welfare versions of established Servants a different class. Besides there's just too many goddamn Liz's in Chaldea already and we don't need to go down that path! I don't think anyone realizes how much of a headache that would cause!
Y: It was the first Liz event from early FGO. The servers were not prepped for EVERYONE to log in at the same time for the one-hour farming nodes, so…zap! I remember that one quite clearly since Tamamo had her early release, and I failed to get her ;_;
Well, that aside, yeah. Halloween Liz being a simple outfit change is acceptable. Especially since her NP isn't really THAT different. Also fun to have Carmilla get involved, the goth bondage Countess.
OC: Yeah I had a good laugh when you wrote her thinking about her intimate life with Ferenc in that one part. That was comedy gold seeing her flustered. In any event we had an interesting moment in Scene 2 where Mashu goes into more detail about why Fou mattered so much to her. Her having a certain moment happen to her three years prior and then having to work with a certain person who she now realizes she hates and is scared, and then Fou comes along to help her. It really shows how empathetic the little squirrel is, and it shows Mashu is also growing to understand that some of her co-workers are not good people and she can be able to feel trauma even years later. Something I think should have been addressed in the game.
Y: Despite CCC Liz's weird insistence on her purity (though her exact age is in a kinda weird limbo in the Nasuverse; she's supposedly 14 but refers to the 17 y.o. Extra Rin and AI Sakura as 'little girls'...), the historical Elizabeth Bathory had four children with her husband. Despite it being an obviously arranged marriage (quite normal for nobles at the time), they did seem to make it work.
And yeah, Mash's connection with Fou isn't shown that much despite him being one of her first confidants. While EOR and the beginning of LB arc have Fou reduced to an animal's mentality, he's clearly regained his sapience later on (Mash acknowledges it), so kinda feel they should've had more moments together.
OC: We just expanded more on what was established in our first Guda arc and now gave it more depth. And as for scene three we delved more into Team A matchups with Iris describing her injury. Originally a couple months back I wanted it to have been the result of a sparring match between her and a certain Team A member we all know and hate. But after thinking about it, I decided that we should make it a different Team A member who did it and have it be by accident to show that Team A, despite them all being Mages, barring one certain guy, that most of them are definitely good people deep down. As for who this team member is, well, I can't say for now, but it'll make sense when we reveal it later in this arc.
Y: Mystery man, apparently. Liz Halloween did get a lot of love at first, so that's good to see. I remember it was also the only event that allowed you to convert down the event currency, which made it so much easier to farm. Sad they don't do that anymore.
OC: Very sad. And as a bonus for people curious about Iris and her stats, here is a run down on her skillset, and some background info:
Iris Idanphere
Age: 34
Nationality: Irish
Magecraft: Druidic
Team: Team B (now defunct)
Role: Combat Support and bestiary recorder (now just recorder due to injuries)
Magic Circuit Quantity: C-
Magic Circuit Quality: C
Reasons for joining: Wanted to get away from the back stabbing and politics of the Clock Tower and be doing something she always preferred.
Likes: Nature, beer, cats and dogs. Muscular men
Dislikes: Politicians, haughty activists, Vegans, people who enter her workshop without an invitation or unannounced.
Element: Earth
And thats all we have for her so far! As you can see, she's pretty much a homebody and prefers to be by herself. I can definitely relate to that.
Y: I know of a lot of people like that. They bundle up and retreat to their fortress of solitude. Okki approved, with a kotatsu and microwave.
OC: Indeed, and as for Carmilla we already discussed how she did have a happy marriage with Ferenc, so no need to repeat ourselves here.
Y: I'm reminded of another FSN fanfic that used Elizabeth Bathory/Carmilla before CCC came out. It actually had that as a bit of a character point, in a surprisingly cute manner. Unfortunately the rest was…well, let's just say they weren't a fan of Sakura…
OC: Oh dear…..let's just leave it at that. In other news I can't wait for Halloween to begin! Sure I have work that day, but Dragon Age The Veil Guard is coming out that day and I already pre-ordered it last month. After ten years of waiting I can finally say
"Thedas, I'm coming home!"
I know it's been a rough ride, and with how many nay-sayers there are, it has gotten exhausting with hearing the discourse, but screw that, I'm waiting for it, and hoping things turn out, because we already have a dumpster fire happening, and we don't need another happening right alongside it!
Y: Sounds like an exciting time for a Dragon Age fan. I've never played the series, just familiar that Morrigan is a sexy goth mommy. Though it seems like fans have been wanting more of the good stuff for a while now.
OC: Well reviews from critics have been positive mostly, but whether fans of the series will love it is a different topic altogether, and I plan on ignoring the rest of the fanbase to avoid too many spoilers for that reason. And also youtubers who bash on the game for no reason. And, ah you get the point. Anyway, thanks for stopping by, and please stay tuned for
(A portal opens up and TVA agents appear out, weapons aimed at OC and Yatsu….and the conveniently placed skeleton between them)
TVA Commander: Put your hands up!
OC: How about not, bub?
TVA Commander: Last chance!
OC: Yatsu, will you do the honors?
Y: Very well. 216 bones are in the human body, 217 when Carmilla is doing her thing.
rips out bones
(Mini Nobus start playing BYE BYE BYE in the background)
Y: Stab Stab! Maximum Effort!
(Yatsu starts slaughtering the TVA while OC enjoys his beer. OC then puts it down and smiles)
OC: Well, if you can't beat them, join them.
(OC activates his adamantium claws, and joins Yatsu slaughtering the TVA agents, all the while the Mini-Nobus dance to the song in the background)