first aid kit.

strange looks were a given, especially since the direction he was coming from was the church. and after some time, the heat finally collapses in on him, causing him to stumble to the ground as the ungodly roll of wheels resounds loudly until it comes to an awkward halt in front of a red-headed woman. he sits there, brushing some bangs and sweat from his face, as he looks up to see what could very well be his savior for the day.

❝ Ah~. Young lady, would you be so kind to help in getting this home for me? ❞ nope, no plans of telling her why he was hoisting a coffin through the searing hot heat to the point of near passing out.

this might as well happen to her.

   ⠀That alone fills Ophelia with a sense of growing dread, and it gnaws harder at her insides each time words fail her— her, humanity's last valid Master. Ritsuka Fujimaru, whose hands are no doubt permanently stained red by now. She slides something towards Ophelia, presenting an unassuming piece of paper pulled from an equally unassuming leather book.

   ⠀Her gaze lingers on Ritsuka's crumpled face, far more torn than this worn piece of paper, and then she begins to read.

she has to gain some composure, otherwise how can she answer that burning question? inhaling sharpy, hands raise to furiously wipe away the ever-flowing tears, eyebrows furrowingas her gaze fell onto the note in her hands.

   ⠀❛ ⠀You're probably right. It's good to be back. … Honestly, I feel as though I've just been sleeping a while.⠀❜ ⠀Perhaps she can't judge Ritsuka too harshly for dodging the issue at hand, as here she is padding the silence just as readily. The Crypter pauses for a beat or two, then begins to get comfortable in the grass directly across from her. There isn't really a comfortable position when the blades are gently prodding against her stockings, but that's the least of her concerns.

Ritsuka hated it– the way memories worked here. going to sleep peacefully one night and waking up to a pain that no words could ever hope to describe. and she just....had to act as if everything was fine, that nothing changed. no one else knew but her and just what the hell was she supposed to do with that? for the last two years, it has been filled with constant losses. necessary, vital to keep moving on– reasons she knew where why but hated nonetheless.

hands reach forward on their own, coming to rest against the object that sat between the two. she had to say it. she had to tell Ophelia. even if the other mage were to be gone tomorrow..........she still needed to know. but words are impossible. her mouth opens and closes a few times, incapable of forming even one syllable. and like before, it happens.

It only became apparent to the servant that their powers were not as endless as she originally assumed. Some seemed to be fading away while just fighting in general caused the knight to feel fatigued even after a few encounters. An impossibility prior to arriving here without someone as strong as her being on the opposing side, but one she had to be aware of now.

"My apologies for worrying you. I should be the one protecting you and I let my guard down." At the very least the Glitched didn't seem like they were overwhelming the two yet. But anything could change at the drop of a dime.

it's not like either of them could know that even the Servants would be affected to this degree. the slow drain on their abilities and powers was concerning enough– the last thing Ritsuka wanted was for Melusine to fade away entirely. after all, what about the respawn system? the Abyss? would it be like when the mists covered the island and it was weeks before she came back?

there was far too much unknown and taking any unnecessary risks wasn't worth finding the answers to those questions.

   ⠀In Fujimaru's case, the air is colder. Even as she takes up residence in the grass, It's as though she's the one spot the sun doesn't dare to touch. Something is leaving an indent in the grass in front of her lap, but Ophelia can't quite make it out. As she continues her approach, she makes a point to step as loudly as possible without stomping around like an idiot— if she intends to intrude regardless, she may as well give Chaldea's Master ample time to make a clean getaway.

   ⠀❛ ⠀Fujimaru.⠀❜ ⠀She speaks far more gently than she steps, almost as if rousing her from a dream. It's been a long time (although she can only begin to guess how long), and she's sure there's plenty of things to catch up on (both on and off the island), but Ophelia's far more concerned with the immediate that's affected Ritsuka so strongly. Does she even need to follow that up with a question ?

her brain registers that. there is another presence nearby, close and.....familiar. she knows that voice, that cadence, and it should be welcomed. the master knows she should be happy to hear it, that her body should move so her eyes land on something real and tangible. muscle memory should be kicking in as a smile falls into place but her body doesn't even feel real right now. hardly anything does. a thought she hasn't had in a long, long time.

Ritsuka blinks once, twice, but never moves. her gaze remains forwards, focused on something that laid beyond the skyline, noting for the first time the sun's position in the sky. time passes in the blink of an eye– she swore it was dawn just an hour ago. not that it really mattered what time it was. keeping track of the hours seemed so unimportant right now.