O Sweet Enigma, Return All to Nothing

There's a hot drink in her hand that she seems unsure of.

Almost caught it--nope. And in her dive to catch the fluffy white rabbit, the poor girl launched noggin-first into another girl, both rounding the corner of a particularly large tree. (That's going to leave a bump later... oof!)

Given where Gray came from, she knew things like magic, mages, knights, ghosts, and all sorts of mystical circumstances were real and tangible forces. Such a simple trick shouldn't surprise her. But watching one card disappear so suddenly, only to reappear in the other hand of this man...

There's a child-like, innocent sparkle in her eyes as she watched it happen again. Like the festival that came close to the village, once...

Personally, Gray loved to clean. The Head of Modern Magic wasn't a tidy man by any sort--his office was only as clean as it was because she kept it tidy herself. Same with the flat back home, and in here, the house she shared with him. There was something deeply satisfying about putting things away where they belonged, and polishing dull items.

Unfortunately, what she needed at the moment--the last pieces in a tea set--were currently held by an absolute mountain of a woman. Even the King of Conquerors may not have matched her in height!

"...E-excuse..." ... "The, ah..." ... "The... teacup..."

"U-um..."

While she didn't put effort into her clothes, sometimes she did wish to look a little nicer. Gray both appreciated and dreaded when Reines dressed her up (she liked to look a little different, but the attention and the shopping... not so much.)

So when that strange woman offered to help her with makeup, she agreed. Changing her face a little was always something she wanted to try (with poor results on her part...)

But...

Tiny starter call? Tiny starter call!

”...I don’t know what an ‘oomfie’ is, and I am... unsure if I should ask.”

It was a fact no matter how deep into the ground she beat herself. Just as the Grail’s destruction had been orchestrated without her consent, without her approval, so too had the entirety of the War, as early as her summoning. Had she known what kind of man Emiya Kiritsugu was, things might have played out far differently. But other than the King of Heroes, none of the Servants called to that battlefield could truly prepare themselves for the hell they had been brought to the edge of before they were waist-deep — not even Rider.

Theirs wasn’t forgiveness she anticipating earning so easily, if ever. And yet, their kindness had extended a hand out and took hold of hers. And in return, her fingers squeezed ever so gently. They had a mere glance at her pages and understood her so well, she would hope to be able to possess such a heart one day. “Thank you, to both of you.

What you say is true — we were thrust into unfortunate circumstances, and nothing can be done to alter what was already determined in the past. But if there’s anything I can do to help, you have my word that I’ll fight for it. Having those around you whom you care for so dearly, those who stand their ground to help you; that’s a testament to the person you are. Not as King Arthur’s vessel — but Gray”.

She followed the request with a nod; it was a promise that would take time to perfect practicing — a habit of centuries that needed breaking. But like the girl, there were people here who needed her to try and pull herself together. “For the time being, I’ll maintain my distance from your mentor, until a day when he may feel comfortable seeing me. If that day never comes, that is fine — I’d not wish to trouble him by opening old wounds. I ask you pass on my condolences for what that War took away from him. But also to commend him — we met only a few times, but he was always there by Rider’s side on the front-line. He survived a savage War and continued to walk a path he decided for himself. If he’s like us, he doesn’t give himself enough credit for keeping the strength to pick himself up and carry on”.

A second hand laid itself upon their union. “Just like you. You’ve a tremendous spirit to travel your own journey when so many saw you as someone else. I look forward to seeing where it takes you here, and know you have my support in every step you take”.

To that, I nodded. Nobody hated my mentor more than he hated himself, as if he took that as a personal creed and stuck to it. I’ve seen him grow, both in this city and in Chaldea... He’s a lot stronger than he lets on, even before his union with Zhuge Liang.

I took a deep breath, and with one more squeeze I exhaled, letting her hand go. I already felt myself becoming tired, like I had run several marathons in a row without stopping. Overwhelmed, even.

But now I knew.

“Um... thank you, for being so kind. To us, I... mean.”

It was a little refreshing, seeing her not as That King, but as another person.

“If I could just live my life as an assistant, I would like that. Here, I can, it seems. I don’t think the holy grail wars come here. So I don’t want any honor, or glory... if I have to fight, it’s to keep the people I care about safe. But... ah... if called upon, um...”

[ What she’s trying to say is that if you’re ever in a pinch, tap us in! ]

“R-right.”

How much help I would be to someone with such power, I had no idea. Maybe she didn’t even need help fighting--I don’t think I could ever be on her level. Maybe I could help if she’s too busy fighting other battles by taking care of her shopping lists, or making sure a companion came home safely. Or getting someone out of danger, if need be...

“Um... n-no, I didn’t need anything. Actually, I, ah...”