"It appears those two are just as stubborn as ever..." Jekyll deadpanned as he and Emiya met up in his quarters to discuss their progress of getting Arturia and Mordred to reconcile... or lack thereof. The Assassin was sitting upright on his bed while the Archer stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking quite pessimistic.
"Tell me about it, doc," said Emiya. "I really thought my talk with Arturia would get her to see reason."
Jekyll drops his gaze slightly. He and Emiya had disclosed to each other their "talks" with their respective Sabers. The Assassin himself thought the same as the Archer when it came to his one-on-one with Mordred, only to be proven as wistful thinking on his part same as Emiya. Jekyll should have not once thought for a second that just that one trading of words would have done anything immediate. The Assassin sighs with mild exasperation before sharing his thoughts with Emiya.
"Watching how the two of them performed today, I'd say Her Highness is simply avoiding any conflict with Mordred. She didn't even confront her after she was accidently struck by Mordred's attack."
"Mordred did not even check on her afterwards," Emiya reminds the doctor. "It would've gone a long way if she simply apologized or asked if Arturia was okay..."
Jekyll sighs again, this time more solemnly. Emiya could tell with a sideways glance that the Assassin was at a loss of what to do from here.
"Then it seems Mordred is being standoffish too," Jekyll affirms. "She doesn't want trouble like the day before."
"Avoidance is getting those two absolutely nowhere," Emiya stated bluntly before adding, "And I thought my younger self was a hardcase..."
"Is that right?" Jekyll casually asked, needing a momentary break from deliberating about Arturia and Mordred. "Come to think of it, you have been in the same Holy Grail War as Her Highness, and your younger self was her master."
"He sure was," Emiya says nostalgically. "Or rather, I sure was..."
The Archer then adds with an almost regretful expression:
"And I was more than eager to kill the kid before he tasted what true hopelessness felt like..."
Jekyll was intrigued, not knowing much about the Archer as a Heroic Spirit.
"Well, that would have been just been paradoxical, wouldn't you agree?"
"Perhaps," Emiya said with a shrug. "I was secretly hoping to just talk him out of following the same path I did. But when he wouldn't listen, stubbornly refusing to believe nothing good comes out just doing things for the sake of justice alone, I tried beating the truth into him. That only made things worse..."
Jekyll was fascinated. He had some idea of what it how it would feel to be at odds with oneself, albeit in his case not as literal as Emiya confronting his younger self. Edward Hyde was the physical manifestation of vices and desires that Jekyll himself had suppressed for most of his life. Hyde's desires and propensity for violence conflicted with Jekyll's sense of morality, and that conflict came to a grim conclusion. Thinking back on how Hyde was first created, Jekyll shared solemnly with Emiya:
"We all see things as black and white when we're young, Mr. Emi- no... Shirou."
The Archer turns his head to look at the Assassin, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience yourself, doc."
"You would not be wrong to assume such," Jekyll admits. "Psychology is not the most "exact" of sciences..."
Emiya's face fell slightly, picking up the implication behind Jekyll's words. Deciding against divulging into the Assassin's experiences, the Archer continues:
"I saw the kid's memories when I was summoned to Chaldea... what happened to him after I died. The things he was forced to endure... but the thing that kept him going was not his devotion to doing the right thing... it was Saber. She was just as broken as my younger self was, but they helped each other heal and develop a different outlook."
Emyia then sighed at the series of memories that were both his and yet not. Even after all this time, he could not truly reconcile which of the two people he truly was; Archer of the Fifth Holy Grail War or Shirou Emiya. He had a hard time seeing how he could be both when those sides of himself were incompatible; one being the nihilist, and another the altruist.
"I guess the point I'm trying to make here," Emiya starts, dismissing his own insecurity to focus back on the matter at hand. "Sometimes it takes something unexpected to change one's ways. The things we think would get us to change... don't."
Jekyll casts his head down to consider Emiya's words and thinks aloud.
"Both Her Highness and your younger self saw the downsides of selfless devotion in each other. You were the other's reflection and you both did not want each other weighed down by those burdens. That's what made the both of you reconcile with yourselves."
Jekyll then looks back up at the Archer.
"But Her Highness does not have that luxury with Mordred. You can't acknowledge what you believe can't exist in another person. They don't see their desire to change in each other because to them there's no way they would change."
Hearing this, Emiya recalls Arturia's words from before, after she and Mordred had an argument after their first day of Scathach's training:
"You heard what she said, Shirou... she isn't sorry at all for what happened."
Emiya remembered vividly the futility in Arturia's voice when she said those words to him. Perhaps Arturia never tried reaching out to Mordred because she was convinced the Knight of Treachery did not want the same, and Mordred saying that Camelot thought it was better off without her only further cemented it.
From what Jekyll shared of his similar talk with Mordred, the Knight did not mean those words. Could have fooled Emiya...
"Then we have to try something else," Emiya lets out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Some other way to get these two seeing eye-to-eye. Maybe lock them in a room together somewhere..."
Jekyll shook his head at Emiya's desperate notion.
"That's too heavy handed. Progress won't be made if we simply force them into a situation they don't want to be a part of to begin with. I doubt Mordred would be happy with me if I instigated such a thing."
Emiya sighs.
"You're right, I'm sorry," he said before casting his gaze up at the ceiling. "I'm just lost on what to do. I don't want to see Arturia upset by Mordred all the time, 'cause it looks like it's going to take Hell freezing over to get them to cooperate."
"I sure hope it doesn't," Jekyll remarks, sharing the Archer's sentiment. Meanwhile, Uathach was leaning against the door, having eavesdropped on the Servants' conversation since the start; her "talent" allowing her to remain undetected by either Heroic Spirit, even the keen and watchful Archer. She had just heard information that her mother would want to hear...
__________
Meanwhile...
"Let's see... they're here somewhere..."
Scathach was in her private museum, combing through the near countless rows of text. She was looking through her collection for any information pertaining to Arthurian legend. Scathach thought that learning some more background on Arturia and Mordred might help her get the two Sabers to work together. She needed to understand the circumstances that caused the rift between them.
Running her finger across the row of books, Scathach stops and pulls one out before combing through it briefly; The Vulgate Cycle. Peering through the shelves below that, Scathach scans and pulls out another: Le Morte d'Arthur. Just then, a Revenant came up behind her, holding a stack of other texts and handed them to her.
"Thank you," Scathach said to the Revenant, and it bows in respect before taking leave. Scathach adds the books she found to the ones brought by her Revenant; all the sources she has referencing Arthurian legend.
Scathach takes the fruits of her search to her lounge area elsewhere in the "museum," gently plopping her pile of books on the red velvet couch between suits of armor before taking a seat herself. Whispering a chant, Scathach manifests a ball of light with her rune magic, letting it hover over her shoulder. She grabs the first book and opens it; the light over shoulder focusing on the pages and magically enlarging the lines of text; words popping out and outlined by violet glow. Now able to read clearly and quickly, Scathach got to work.
What was soon apparent to her was that as old as these books were, they were made centuries after Arthur's time, so most information she found was speculative or biased. Not as reliable as first-hand accounts from the Servants, but Scathach would make do.
By "speed-reading" through several books, Scathach was finding information consistent across all of them. Arthur and Mordred were often portrayed as mortal enemies; the treacherous knight leading a rebellion against the King of Camelot to claim Britain for himself, the two eventually killing each other on the hills of Camlann. Scathach peers at an artist's rendition of Arthur and Mordred's final confrontation in one particular book; with bodies of dead soldiers around them, Mordred was run through with Arthur's spear, with the king himself mortally wounded during the clash.
Scathach was briefly fixated on the image; staring at Arthur stabbing Mordred with Rhongomyniad. She knew all the Servants were once alive, having died at some point to become what they are. Unlike her, they have all experienced what it would be like to draw a final breath...
Scathach pushed her morbid curiosity down as she cross-referenced the information she found in each book. Oddly, none of the books delved deep into Arthur and Mordred's relationship; nothing beyond Mordred being a knight who schemed and betrayed the king, let alone being an illegitimate child of Arthur.
How frustrating, Scathach thought, pinching her forehead lightly. It seems Arturia and Mordred are the only ones aware of their relation to each other. Not surprising as no historian could possibly know that...
The warrior queen leaned back in her seat as she thought back to her chats with both Sabers. Scathach could not help but think that there is some piece of information that was missing; something crucial...
She wagered that perhaps looking into Mordred's mother, Morgan le Fay, may suggest an answer.
Mordred was willing to talk about her, even after showing me her scars. But Arturia...
Arturia made no mention of Morgan during her and Scathach's time together. It was almost as if in fact that the Blue Saber neglected to talk about her in context of Mordred. If the Knight of Treachery had nothing good to say about her mother, then what about the King of Knights?
I wonder...
Recalling Mordred's words, Morgan told Mordred that Arthur was her father right before the knight came before her king; before being ultimately rejected by Arturia when Mordred told her...
Then everything went wrong for both of them.
If it wasn't because you had ill will with Mordred, then why did you turn her away when she reached out, Arturia?
Scathach remembered how conflicted Arturia was when the warrior queen asked her this. All Scathach could pick up from her was, in a word... shame.
Arturia does not deny Mordred's relation to her, per se. But as to HOW that happened...
No way Mordred came about through "natural" means, Scathach deduced. Afterall, two women cannot conceive a child without... "help." Magic was involved somehow...
And perhaps it was not a pleasant ordeal... but rather, a traumatic one...
Following a hunch, Scathach resumed combing through her texts with renewed focus. She was searching not for information on Arthur and Mordred, but instead, on the one wild card between them:
Morgan le Fay...
Scathach hoped to find anything beyond what she already knew vaguely on the sorceress of Arthurian legend. She scanned through book after book looking for anything she could find on Morgan.
And the facts were... muddy at best.
Morgan le Fay: An enemy of Merlin and Arthur, related to the Fairies, would oppose the King's rule over Britain through magic, manipulation and deception. Her evil deeds included aiding the warlord, Vortigern, setting the Green Knight upon Arthur's court in challenge, and stealing the sheath of Excalibur: Avalon, rendering Arthur mortal before his final confrontation with Mordred. Morgan's titles included The Veiled-Maiden, The Lady of Whispers, The Witch Queen (Scathach scoffed at that one amusingly), Black Madonna, Fata Morgana... the list went on.
But that was it... nothing on why she opposed Arthur, nothing that suggested that she was even the mother of Mordred. As abruptly as she appeared in Arthurian myth, she disappears much in the same manner. Her "character" was not consistent either. This woman was mystery personified, as no author of Arthurian mythology could pinpoint exactly WHO Morgan was.
For someone so mysterious in lore, Scathach thought, Morgan's influence sure seeped well into modern media; inspiring the creation of villainesses like Maleficent, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Savathun, even Morgan herself having as many incarnations as King Arthur, including those in DC and Marvel comics.
Alas, there was no useful information on Morgan that Scathach could find; not any that would in any way aid in getting Arturia and Mordred to see eye-to-eye. It was frustrating as the warrior queen suspected there were more forces at play when Mordred revealed herself to Arturia. The circumstances leading up to that crucial moment in their history, it could not be coincidence to Scathach.
Arturia's isolation in providing peace to Britain... Mordred's abusive upbringing... and Morgan revealing the knight's heritage... right before everything went wrong.
Scathach leans forward and buries her face in her hands with a sigh.
Arturia still had a choice... She could've accepted Mordred then and avoided the downfall of Camelot. If she never hated Mordred, then why didn't she?
There was something missing...
Scathach's talk with Arturia came back to mind... the one thing Arturia seemed too ashamed to say, and what Scathach believes Mordred is in the dark about.
Leaning back in her seat, Scathach laid there gazing up at the ceiling. She sighs again with more apparent exhaustion.
There are so many layers to this... Arturia and Mordred are too blinded by their assumptions of each other to even just talk let alone try and work through their issues. Their refusal to fight together is bringing their whole team down.
Scathach closed her eyes and contemplated as she forced herself to relax.
Even if by some miracle I can get them to cooperate... it won't be permanent; Unless Arturia confronts her shame and shares to Mordred what she will not with me ... for both their sakes...
Scathach's eyes flew open when she felt her heart flutter, albeit briefly. This feeling was one she had not felt in a long while... sympathy.
Sympathy for two people who were hardly more than strangers to her.
Is it because they are family? Their feud being much like between me and-?
Scathach stopped herself right there. She could not bring herself to think of her sister, Aife; she refused to. Aife has been dead for centuries, and there was nothing to be gained in wasting thoughts on her.
Yet that didn't stop the lingering regret with the bitterness...
Scathach then lied down on the couch, sliding against the back rest and lifting her legs up to curl up comfortably with difficulty. Despite her mental exhaustion, Scathach was restless.
The immortal Guardian of Dunscaith did not have to sleep. Her powers kept her feeling physically energized, to the point where it was a rare occurrence for Scathach to succumb to slumber.
The warrior queen sighed again, solemnly reminded of why she made the choice to take on Chaldea as her students, and it was not out of the goodness of her heart; so Scathach convinced herself of.
What happens between Arturia and Mordred is none of my business. The only thing that matters is that I get them fighting together. See how powerful Servants can be... and perhaps give me the one thing I want more than anything...
She got a taste of it back then... she came so close... but it was fleeting, held back by something she could not have foreseen; nothing she could have planned against...
No one...
Scathach's heart fluttered achingly again at the thought of him. Why was she thinking of him NOW of all times?
The same person who almost gave her what she wanted back then, and the same person standing in her way now despite him needing her help after ALL these centuries. Scathach forced those feelings down, trying to concentrate on something else. Like how comfortable her couch was.
Taking a deep breath, Scathach shut her eyes and slowly exhaled. She was tired... tired of all that's going on... tired of all that's happened to her.
Tired of everything...
Just keep at it, Scathach, she thought to herself. Do what you do best, and it won't be much longer. Training the Servants can wait... after some sleep...
Scathach squirmed slowly in her comfy velvet couch as sleep finally started taking hold. She would savor this like the other rare times when she could drift into slumber, and just let herself go.
Sleep was alas not a permanent rest state. Scathach wished it was...
-As she heard a far away noise with her enhanced hearing, rudely awakening her when she was on the edge of deep sleep.
Peeking her eyes open, Scathach sat up in alert. Not seeing the source of the sound, Scathach got to her feet and left her lounge area. Following the noise, she made her way through the aisles of treasures, wondering who was in the museum with her.
And internally kicking herself for not sensing the interloper.
Guess I really WAS tired... you're getting sloppy, Scathach...
The noise became louder as Scathach walked on. Soon enough, she could discern what it was; as well as where it was coming from.
It sounded like pounding.
Drums? Is Mordred here?
Scathach could not think of anyone else who would be in her music room. As the sound became clearer and louder. As she was arriving, it was clear to the warrior queen that the drum sounds were coming out of a speaker as when the drums went faster, she heard the distinct "shredding" of an electric guitar.
No way even a Servant could play both drums and guitar at the same time... someone's playing an album.
Her curiosity piqued, Scathach closed in on the entrance to her music room. Quickening her pace, she then heard vocals.
"Oh, wow, man, I said-
Wait a second, man...
What do you think the teacher's gonna look like this year?"
"Oh no..." she almost groans. Scathach knew this song... despite the stellar instrumentation of the track, THIS was one that annoyed her for obvious reasons...
"Oh yeah, teacher stop that screamin',
Teacher don't you see? Don't wanna be no uptown fool...
Maybe I should go to hell, but I am doing well...
Teacher needs to see me after school..."
Fighting the urge to groan, Scathach entered her music room; her eyes falling immediately on a record player next to the shelves of albums.
"I think of all the education that I've missed,
But then my homework was never quite like this...!"
Who she saw looking at all her records was NOT Mordred, but rather the last person she expected to be remotely interested in all of this. Irritated, Scathach stomped her way to her record player to shut it off.
"Ow! Got it bad, got it bad, got it bad
I'm hot for teacher-!"
(*click*)
As soon she cut the noise, said person turned to say bluntly:
"I was enjoying that..."
Scathach turned and put her hands on her hips, staring sternly at the intruder.
"I do not recall giving YOU permission to fiddle around in here, Setanta."
Cu Chulainn was casually sifting through a pile of albums he handpicked from off the rows of shelves nearby. Barely acknowledging his mentor's displeasure, he turns to Scathach and reveals:
"I overheard our mutual friend, Mordred, raving about your music cave here. I thought I'd check it out for myself."
Scathach continues staring at him, growing irritated at seeing her student sifting through the albums she previously had meticulously organized. Cu Chulainn then holds up an album labelled "Van Halen: 1984" for her to see.
"I knew that song would grab your attention," he said with a smirk before remarking, "I'm honestly surprised you even have this album..."
Scathach quickly marched over to him and snatched the album from Cu's grasp, pouting angrily while hiding an embarrassed blush.
"Well..." she started with an irritated huff. "I can't control exactly what my Revenants bring back from outside the forest."
She then walked over by the record player, lifting the stylus from the turntable as Cu watches silently. Scathach takes a deep breath as she takes the record off and carefully puts it back in the album sleeve, realizing she might have come off a bit harsh at seeing Cu Chulainn prying in her music room. Feeling... slightly guilty, she openly admitted:
"Decades ago, when I learned humanity found a way to record music in physical format, I strived on getting as much as I could, including what was popular at any given time..."
Scathach then walked over to her shelf of albums and slides the one in her hands into place. She takes a moment to pause and scan her eyes across the rows of hundreds of other records, silently marveling how much she has accumulated. Knowing her former student was listening, Scathach pridefully reminded herself not to appear vulnerable around him.
"The one thing I quickly learned was that music tastes change constantly. Even the most obscure genres get their time to shine. Some even overstay their welcome..."
Scathach then looks over her shoulder towards Cu Chulainn before adding dryly:
"-Not unlike a certain someone."
While his face remained passive, Cu would be a liar if he said Scathach's jab did not annoy him just a little bit. Then again, this has always been their little game since he brought Chaldea here. Scathach's interactions with the Lancer were like little spars, fighting with words instead of weapons.
So far, Cu was quick to realize, the rules have yet to change. Does not mean neither of them can enjoy the challenge.
Now the ball was in his court.
"You clearly have preferences," Cu remarked, picking up a couple of albums he had set on the floor, and he eyes them with obvious interest. "I see most of what you have here is roughly as old as that album, give or take a couple decades. They must be doing something right to be tickling your fancy..."
The Lancer then turned to Scathach with a smirk.
"-Like said "someone"."
Scathach stood straight and turned to fully face Cu Chulainn, caught slightly off guard, but Cu could see in her eyes that she was impressed with his "counterattack." With her wide open, the Lancer then said to her assuredly:
"There's no shame in admitting you have interests besides slaying monsters, you know..."
Scathach appeared visibly surprised now, but only lasted briefly as she then looked at Cu Chulainn skeptically.
"How would you even know about any of this stuff?" she asks with a hint of curiosity in her voice, coking her hip to one side and putting a hand above it. "I've never known you care much for music at all let alone for any from today..."
"I know a little..." Cu replies cheekily, standing up and walking towards Scathach with a select few albums in hand. Her eyes stayed locked on Cu as he approached with his trademark charm. "I'm not exactly the newest Servant summoned to Chaldea. It's amazing what you become exposed to for a few months in the modern world. Even heroes displaced centuries out of time can find something to like in this age."
Scathach watched her former student carefully, recalling what Arturia said about Cu Chulainn being summoned previously in the last Holy Grail War.
"I was told you were summoned before..." she revealed, briefly making Cu stop in his tracks. "Did not sound it was for long enough to be acquainted with anything modern..."
She watched as the Lancer dropped his gaze for but a moment, noting the fleeting look of regret on his face which made Scathach feel a pang through her heart.
"The first time, not really..." Cu said somewhat sadly. For a moment, Scathach thought about asking him about his previous master, but decided against it. Cu then continues in a livelier tone, looking at his mentor again. "Still, I had much more time on my hands when I came to Chaldea. Enough to really learn the unique quirks of this time period."
Stopping in front of her, Cu Chulainn gently hands out the trio of albums for Scathach to take, keeping a coy smile that she (deniably...) felt charmed by whenever she saw it.
"Know where these go?" he asks her. Scathach looked down at the selection of albums in confusion until she saw which ones they were...
Tapestry, Songs from the Big Chair, and Rumours.
Some of her favorite albums...
Scathach's heart skipped a beat, thinking there was no way Cu Chulainn of all people could possibly know that. Still, with her hands shaking slightly, she carefully took them from his grasp. Scathach's head rises to meet Cu Chulainn's eyes; her own betraying her thoughts.
How?
But deep down, Scathach knew the answer. Cu knew her better than she could ever admit. Just from spending a few minutes in the music room, he was able to determine which among the near countless number of albums that Scathach went back to. Many in here were in such pristine condition that Cu could tell most were played once and then hardly touched again. But the ones Scathach held, showed signs of frequent use; from the fraying of the cardboard to the scratches on the records from the stylus of a turntable.
It also did not help that Scathach had left these lying out beside her piano before Chaldea came into her domain, and she had forgotten...
Scathach did not know if she should feel touched or embarrassed that Cu Chulainn discovered these. She did not know if he happened to have found these albums, or perhaps listened to them previously and thought she'd indeed like them, but either way...
What Cu's gesture just said... was that he could read her well no matter how hard Scathach made it for him.
She both loved and hated the Hound's tenacity...
"Why are you really here, Setanta?" she asked evenly, hiding her surprise which even to her seemed futile at this point. Even more so when Cu's reply was remarkably considerate.
"Am I not allowed to be concerned for the wellbeing of my mentor?" he said, taking note of the restlessness behind Scathach's crimson-red eyes, which were normally so alert.
Hearing his response, Scathach's gaze dropped for but a moment, feeling the skip in her heart again. Alas, her pride would not allow her to let Cu get too close. She abruptly turns to put the albums she was handed back on the shelf behind her.
"I don't have time for this," she said abrasively, hoping it would get Cu to leave. "I was busy researching for the sake of your comrades until you barged in and started messing with my collection..."
Cu was slightly dismayed, having his effort of getting through to his mentor shot down yet again. Still, he did not let his frustration get the better of him this time.
"No? It looks to me that you could use a break, Teacher."
Hearing the care in his voice made Scathach pause for a moment, before she then lets out an exasperated sigh.
"That's putting it very lightly, Setanta," she stated without turning to face him. Scathach resumed organizing her albums left about by Cu until he came up beside her.
"You know I don't mean... that," the Lancer said to her, being careful not to come off as too confrontational. Cu caught a glimpse of Scathach's resolve weakening and cannot allow her push him away just yet, so he lightened his tone. "I mean you can take a moment to take your mind off busywork. Time for you to just enjoy yourself."
Scathach glanced at him, locking eyes with him again for a few moments and seeing that he might be serious. She should have known that Cu picked up on how she was feeling before she found him in here. Scathach found herself once again moved by her former student's sentiment, but pushed the feeling down before it could linger.
"I cannot afford to. Not when your Masters and comrades are pressed for time."
Determined to get him to leave, Scathach then said:
"Besides, I see what you're trying to do. I have thought you got the message loud and clear after disappointing me during today's training."
Cu was taken slightly back now that Scathach had seemingly caught on to what he was doing. She knew Cu was doing all he can to prevent what she secretly had in store for his Masters and fellow Servants of Chaldea. Still, he was not deterred, for Cu knew that he was slowly but surely getting to her.
"Which part exactly?" he asked absently, knowing it would rile Scathach. "The fight with the golem or...?"
When he trailed off, Scathach's brow twitched. Like his tenacity, she was amused and irritated by how Cu could get under her skin.
"You know which one..." she as matter-of-factly, her patience waning. "It was insulting, Setanta; holding back on me like that. If you're not going to apologize for it, then I suggest you leave. And while you are at it, be sure to stay out of my way from this point on."
Scathach curtly turns to leave but stops when Cu Chulainn grabs her hand. She glares at him for his audacity, but once again seeing the genuine concern on his face prevented her from outright retaliating.
"That's all you have to say?" Cu asks evenly, his expression creased and narrow, directed at the one person who could rile him like no other yet the same person he wanted to reach out to.
Scathach was hell-bent on closing herself off, but Cu could not let her.
"You shouldn't have been any bit surprised that spar ended the way it did," he continues. "But that's not why you're mad, is it?"
The warrior queen's gaze quivered for but a moment, but Scathach steeled herself and said resolutely:
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
With that, she jerks her hand out of Cu's grasp, leaving the Lancer dismayed as Scathach returned to cleaning the mess he made in her music room. With his mentor holding tight on to her feelings, Cu knew he needed something else to get through to her. Scathach was a warrior as much as Cu was, and warriors reveal themselves fully when presented with a fitting challenge.
Fortunately, that's what Cu's "Plan B" is for...
"Is that so?" He said cryptically, his snarky tone making Scathach pause. "If you don't want to tell it to me straight, then..."
Cu deliberately trails off, and Scathach now starts becoming concerned... and intrigued. She glances over her shoulder towards him, noticing the oddly casual way Cu was standing.
"What are you up to?" she asks with growing suspicion, and as if in reply, Cu shows her what he held in his left hand. Something he had hidden up until now:
A remote... to Scathach's jukebox. Her eyes widened as Cu at last answered her with:
"Changing the rules..."
(*click*)
The jukebox turned on, and instantly music came blasting out of the speakers.
("Since You Been Gone" – Rainbow)
Scathach stood up, shocked to discover that Cu had messed with more stuff in her music room than she thought; him having swapped the singles she had saved in the antique player.
"Setanta-!" she scolded, yelling over the loud music. Before she could teach the Lancer a lesson, Cu simply told her:
"Listen..."
Scathach stopped and stared at him, visibly confused as the lyrics to the song played...
"I get the same old dreams same time every night
Fall to the ground and I wake up"
Scathach was now perplexed as she notices Cu walking towards her and seemingly lip syncing to the vocals. She did not understand what was happening.
"What are you-?!" She starts, only for Cu to repeat:
"Just listen."
"So I get out of bed, put on my shoes and in my head
Thoughts fly back to the breakup"
Hearing the lyrics, things started to click for Scathach. Cu did not pick this song randomly...
It was directed at her... as a challenge.
"Seriously?" Scathach asked, crossing her arms judgmentally as Cu strode closer.
"These four walls are closing in
Look at the fix you put me in..."
"Yes, ma'am..." Cu replies as the song erupts into chorus.
"Since you been gone
Since you been gone
I'm out of my head can't take it"
Scathach's eyes stayed locked on Cu as he circled her. Visibly, her expression conveyed how silly this game Cu was presenting her with was: getting her to convey her feelings not through with words alone, but with music. Her former student was clearly goading her into playing along.
Yet, a growing smirk appeared on her face at the unique challenge, scratching an itch Scathach had not felt in ages.
"Could I be wrong
But since you been gone
You cast your spell so break it"
Scathach found herself wanting to answer Cu's challenge. She had another in song in mind to counter with...
"Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh
Since you been gone-"
With a snap of her fingers, Scathach magically stopped the song and made her jukebox change tracks. Cu stops, raising an eyebrow as his mentor said this to him:
"Two can play THIS game..."
She strolled to her jukebox to handpick another song with Cu watching with interest as Scathach selected her "counter."
Good, she's taking the bait...
("You're So Vain" – Carly Simon)
As the new song started playing, Scathach spun on her heel to face her challenger.
"Listen here, you son-of-a-gun..." she said suggestively as the vocals came through, only unlike Cu, Scathach was actually singing along as she locked eyes on him.
"You walked into the party
like you were walking onto a yacht"
Cu was speechless, impressed that Scathach was singing to the lyrics with remarkably good pitch. He was even more stunned as the warrior queen slowly closed the distance, noting the enticing way Scathach was swaying her hips with each step.
"Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot"
Scathach was partly surprised at her own boldness, but she cannot help but give it her all when challenged, especially in such a unique way. She stops in front of Cu and wrapped her arms around his neck while still swaying her hips to the music.
"You had one eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner and..."
Here Cu was... flustered and aroused until Scathach broke away with a teasing smile.
"You're so vain
You probably think this song is about you"
Scathach turned her back on Cu Chulainn but kept eye contact by looking over her shoulder towards him with that same smug expression that was continually teasing him. As far as she was concerned, Scathach had won the first round.
"You're so vain (you're so vain)
I bet you think this song is about you
Don't you, don't you...?"
Cu snapped out of his stupor, knowing he had to respond somehow. Using the remote again, he changed tracks. The Lancer was not mad at having been one-upped by Scathach, for his plan was working so far. He did not mind losing if it meant getting their feelings across to each other.
("Cold as Ice" – Foreigner)
Scathach stopped when the song changed, turning back to Cu as it was now his turn. The song he chose had some scolding words for her.
"You're as cold as ice
You're willing to sacrifice our love"
Her face fell as Cu approached her, telling her this game of theirs was about to turn serious.
"You never take advice
Someday you'll pay the price, I know"
Scathach's face stayed passive, but the words Cu was indirectly throwing her way were hitting a nerve. Cu grabs Scathach's arm and she instinctively grabs his in return. With their arms locked together, both of them slowly circle each other, their eyes never leaving the other's.
"I've seen it before; it happens all the time
You're closing the door, you leave the World behind
You're digging for gold, you're throwing away
A fortune in feelings, but someday you'll pay-"
The song was interrupted once Scathach snapped her fingers again with her free hand, magically making the jukebox switch to another song.
("Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty)
Once the new track kicked in, Scathach and Cu let go of each other but keep slowly circling, this time in the opposite direction. They continue gazing into each other's eyes as Scathach walks with one foot in front of the other while singing the lyrics, these directed at Cu Chulainn:
"Baby, you'll come knocking on my front door
Same old line you used to use before
I said, "Hey well, what am I supposed to do?"
I didn't know what I was getting into"
Scathach's eyes then briefly darted down to the remote Cu held. If she could snatch it from his grasp, then he would not be able to respond with another song... then Scathach would win this game by default.
She felt like she has made her point to him with this song.
"Say you've had a little trouble in town
Say you're keeping some demons down"
Scathach narrows her gaze, hoping to keep Cu's fixed on her face when her moment came to strike. Cu was watching her, and he gave her a suspicious look. As the chorus concluded, Scathach's stoic facade gave way to a challenging smirk.
"Stop draggin' my, Stop draggin' my
Stop draggin' my heart around-"
(WHAM!)
It happened in an instant. Scathach made a grab for the remote in Cu's hands, colliding with him as he "accidently" clicked a button and starting the next song.
("No One Like You" - Scorpions)
Loud electric guitar blared as Scathach and Cu tumbled and rolled across the floor until the Lancer managed to throw his mentor off him. Scathach quickly and gracefully lands on her feet, turning to lunge at Cu again as he recovered, reaching for the remote again repeatedly as Cu sidesteps desperately to keep her from getting it, the speed they were moving at almost a blur to the naked eye.
Yet throughout the exchange, they were both smiling with excitement, enjoying this little round of cat-and-mouse as the real game continued. Determined to stop the song before the vocals kicked in, Scathach feints and Cu reacts prematurely, allowing her to lunge again for the remote in his hand. Colliding with the Lancer again, they fall over, knocking over a cushioned sofa and rolling across the floor again, this time Scathach landing on top of Cu with one hand clenched around the remote same as him. They stare at each other as they wrestled for control; Scathach felt the device slipping out of Cu's hand, sure of victory until the song wind down into verse...
"Girl, it's been a long time that we've been apart
Much too long for a man who needs love
I miss you since I've been away..."
Scathach watched as Cu's visage relaxed. He kept starring into her eyes as the lyrics reflected the words he wanted to convey to her. Breathing heavily, Scathach suddenly became aware of the position she was in; lying on top of Cu, her body hugging against his, and with one hand fighting his for the remote, the other-
Scathach takes a glance towards her other hand and found her fingers intertwined with Cu's, being held tenderly while it shook. She could his heart hammering with her own in unison as she looked back into his eyes.
"Babe, it wasn't easy to leave you alone
It's getting harder each time that I go
If I had the choice, I would stay"
Scathach's cheeks turned red, yet she did not quiver in embarrassment. How could she with Cu looking at her so serious, yet so affectionately? Cu suddenly let go of Scathach and she was left stunned as he helps her back on her feet, rising with her.
"There's no one like... you
I can't wait for the nights with you
I imagine the things we'll do
I just want to be loved by you."
Once they were standing back up, Cu held Scathach lightly by her waist. Feeling his touch through the thin fabric of her attire, Scathach almost shivered. All the while her eyes never left his...
"There's no one like you
I can't wait for the nights with you
I imagine the things we'll do
I just want to be loved by you..."
As the chorus faded, Cu slowly reached for the remote in Scathach's hands, who did not even realize she was holding it until he grabbed it and pressed a button, stopping his own song. Silence hung between them until Cu smiled and said to the warrior queen:
"That was fun, wasn't it?"
Scathach's eyes widened, absolutely shellshocked that their little exchange just now made her forget that they were even competing with each other. Even more so, Cu had gotten her to temporarily take her mind off her task and get her to enjoy herself, which this challenge did. But Scathach had allowed herself to become too carried away, to the point she even let Cu get too close for comfort. Struggling to compose herself, Scathach stammers, trying to brush off this whole incident by walking past the Lancer.
"I... I really should be getting back to-"
Scathach was barely past Cu's shoulder when she suddenly felt her arm grabbed, stopping the warrior queen in her tracks. Her initial instinct was to pull it free, but after feeling how... light Cu's grip was; so much so that it would be laughably easy for Scathach to break away.
So why has she not done so?
Without looking at him, Scathach could feel Cu's gaze on her as he said:
"Wasn't it you who taught me that a warrior's mind is most clear when the focus is not just to fight, but to..."
He trails off, letting Scathach finish for him.
"" Learn what you can, play where you can, and rest when you can" ..." she recites, feeling a stroke of pride for her greatest student recalling that one important lesson; one passed down from her own mentor. Scathach musters the courage to turn and look at Cu, adding cheekily, "Using my own teachings against me, are you?"
Cu just smiled at her, not needing to say a word. Scathach could tell from their game earlier that Cu had said everything he wanted to say, at least for now. Still, a pang of guilt rippled through Scathach as she looked down at her still clenched arm. Cu's grip was slowly tightening, almost afraid to let go.
She knew all too well what Cu was fighting so hard to get through her head. But Scathach had long gotten the message already, something Cu was refusing to realize.
"I see what you're doing, Setanta," Scathach's voice was low and shaking. "You know I can't... WE can't..."
Cu's visage faltered for only a moment. His tone stays composed as he tells her:
"I sure do... and I don't like it. I know you don't either..."
Scathach felt her heart skip a beat. She could not bring herself to say something that would be outright hurtful to Cu Chulainn, especially when she knew that would be a lie.
"It's not that simple..." Scathach pleaded, casting her head down. Just then she felt a tug on her arm, prompting her to look back at the Lancer.
"It is..." Cu insisted, suspecting that Scathach's words were breaking her own heart. "You're the one complicating it."
Scathach's eyes widened again. She knew Cu was right but could not for the life of her tell him so. The result of listening to him would only lead to something terrible and more heartbreaking than keeping Cu at arm's length.
Something Scathach was terrified to experience again...
"But..." she struggles, trying to get him to understand what was ultimately plaguing her. "My-"
"Mother?"
Cu and Scathach immediately broke away from each other when Uathach made her presence known, appearing at the entrance to the music room. Scathach was breathing heavily, trying to calm her heart down. Part of her relieved for her daughter's intrusion.
"I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Uathach asks cautiously, noting Cu Chulainn's presence as well as the position she found him and her mother in. Having almost composed herself, Scathach then addresses her daughter.
"No..." her voice was still shaken. "Your timing was perfect, Uathach."
Uathach looked on with genuine concern before saying to her mother:
"I just wanted to share something you've asked me to look into. I believe you would like to hear what I've found..."
Scathach takes a deep breath and replies:
"I see... Thank you." Scathach then crossed her arms, remembering Cu was still here. "I'll be with you in a moment. Setanta here was just about to retire for the night..."
Uathach bowed and stepped outside the room, her steps going unheard as Scathach and Cu were by themselves. The atmosphere turned tense and awkward, and Cu could not stand the silence for long. He thought about he should say to his mentor, eventually deciding to not speak about their little game and its result for fear of losing progress.
Cu wanted to believe that he had somewhat gotten through to Scathach, but Uathach's interruption made him unsure if that was the case. He could feel the warrior queen wanting to retreat behind her walls.
"You had the lass eavesdropping on my comrades?" he asks unsurely, not coming up with anything better to diffuse the tension. In much a similar manner, Scathach replies:
"It was part of my research," she said, now holding one arm nervously. "I still don't know enough about the Sabers to determine how best to help them."
Now that they have both had an opportunity to speak, Cu felt comfortable enough to then ask Scathach in a suggestive manner:
"Isn't that a bit...?" he trails off, but Scathach understood what he was getting at.
"Underhanded? Perhaps..." she remarks coolly now that the awkwardness faded. "I just have a feeling that whatever I do is not going to stick unless the two of them actually want to confide in each other."
Taking a deep breath and shifting her weight nervously, Scathach added:
"I guess we'll see what my test tomorrow does..."
"What did you have in mind?" Cu asks.
"Something that will require teamwork. And if that doesn't do it..."
Scathach's face fell.
"Then I don't know what will."
Cu grimaced. His Masters expanding knowledge of magecraft was going to go a long way in keeping Chaldea in the fight against Solomon, no doubt about that. But what does that matter when the Servants are not in fighting form themselves? Worse, if they are not willing to work together? Solomon would run them all over if Chaldea did not all fight as a team.
The Lancer knew that if anyone could prevent that from happening, it was Scathach. But since he first presented this idea to his Masters, Cu knew that Scathach's tutelage would come at great risk... as well as cost. Not just for them, but Scathach herself whether she knew it or not.
Cu has been trying to convince Scathach not pay that price... one that should not even be there at all.
"I trust that you're doing all you can," he confesses. "But not for the right reasons."
Scathach turned her head away slightly. She knew the conversation would eventually come back to this, and she hated it. Ultimately, she replied to Cu with:
"Reasons that you have no hope of understanding unless you were in my position, Setanta..."
Silence filled the room again. Cu Chulainn had nothing to say to that, now that the warrior queen had hidden behind her walls once again. The two of them stayed facing each other, but not meeting their eyes; so close they could both feel the turmoil in their hearts, yet so far out of reach. Cu was not sure how much time had passed until Scathach spoke again.
"Follow my advice now... rest."
Cu Chulainn cast his head down with great reluctance.
"Whatever you say... Teacher."
The Lancer walked past Scathach, almost stomping out of the room. Whether he was frustrated with his stubborn mentor or at himself for failing her once again, Cu did not know. His feelings were too all over the place for the Hound of Ulster to make any sense of them. He was only a warrior after all, not some heart-throb.
He had come so close... but it seemed it was going to take more...
Cu Chulainn grunted in frustration, resisting the urge to damage any of Scathach's possessions as he stormed through her museum and back to his quarters. Still, he was not willing to give up. Cu forced himself to focus and heed Scathach's advice to rest up and prepare himself mentally. He did not know when another chance to reason with his mentor would present itself, but despite his failure tonight, Cu perceived a possibility that Scathach wanted to reach out to him. He felt it...
Cu needed to keep trying... For Chaldea's sake as well as that for Scathach herself...
He needed to save her.
At that same moment and still in the music room, Scathach stood there listening to Cu Chulainn's departing footsteps. Once she no longer heard them, she fell on her knees and cried, clenching one hand over heart. Now that he was out of earshot, Scathach was left spilling conflicting emotions she had bottled up throughout her and the Lancer's encounter.
She could not let Cu know how much pushing him away was killing her inside, but each time the Lancer would continue reaching out to her so stubbornly, tugging her heartstrings more and more. Cu's tenacity, along with his challenge that they both enjoyed, it only made Scathach...
The warrior queen crushed such thoughts. Scathach could not allow herself attachment to anyone of any kind, for she knew how such sentiment ultimately ended for her. There was no escape from such inevitable outcome, no other alternative, and therefore no point for her other than heartbreak.
Scathach had that happen to her more times than she cared to count... and the reality of her existence would become all too apparent to her... from the very beginning of her watch over this hallowed forest.
Eternally...