❝ There are many people here who still wear them ― Servants included! Put them on or― ❞ She was only vaguely listening in the midst of lecturing him, but it was only natural that the words ‘gambling addiction’ would reach her brain. Nightingale doesn’t quite understand how a cellphone can cause that, but his expression is enough.
❝ That’s enough. If you wish for me to worry so much about you, there are other ways of getting my attention. I won’t allow you to indulge in those vices, give me your phone. ❞
“... Fine,” said with a complying tone; he knows better than others that sometimes (actually, more often than not) it is easier to do as she wants — especially since putting on glasses was not that big of a deal. “All you had to say is that you prefer me with glasses on.”
“I will not give you my phone.” Words firm and uncompromising as he slides the root of the discourse under himself — he has been in bed for a while, seeing no need to rise. “I am not the one ‘indulging in those vices’, you should know that.”
❝ Put on your glasses if you’re going to stare at your phone for so long, or I will confiscate it. I don’t care about your ‘Gat Cha’, or whatever nonsense you are talking about. ❞
“The glasses are useless — did you happen to forget that I am a Servant?” Servant or not, but farming an event for the whole night has clearly left a mark on his countenance: a tired gaze is what she was met with as he lifted his head to look at her.
“... And as a matter of fact, you should care about it, since quite a few of others have developed a gambling addiction due to the nature of these games.”
a late post but i’m currently chilling on my other non-fate blog and i will come back here when... i’m ready i guess. if you want the url, ask for it in dms.
@enferne asked: ‘ mistletoe ’ (nobody knows if it’s accidental or on purpose uwu)
Festivities and celebration had long since died down within Chaldea. Many had become tired from the long nights of parties or cleaning up messes and others simply switched back to their usual selves after acting jolly for the Holy Night. Nightingale herself tethered in-between — and yet she still had that odd merry spark in her heart. However, it wouldn’t be something she would show so openly, and it took until a majority had fallen asleep for her to add a tiny spring in her step. With box in hand, she made it her job to remove the decorations from the facility, as they would be packed away and be brought out whenever they were needed again.
The most common, and most troublesome, of the decorations were the mistletoe once again. Servants always caused unnecessary trouble with them, and made it a hobby of hanging as many as they could for their deviancy. Luckily she had no need to worry about any tomfoolery, for the night was quiet and calm, allowing her to quickly remove a multitude of them. No one would be able to enact any sort of mischief with them — at least, that was her original thought.
As soon as her eyes fell upon a familiar silhouette down the hall, a faint memory lingers. Last Christmas was only a joy due to his presence, she remembers, and yet this time around she scarcely saw him due to her newfound profession as “Santa” as the children had labeled her. As the ghostly sensation fades from her thoughts and lips, the worry that his mood may be sour from lack of attention hits her. Having the Avenger in a pleasant mood is the one thing she would desire today, especially on a night as holy as this one is meant to be.
Despite taking the proper steps to close the distance between them, the nurse is forced to stop once her eyes linger towards the ceiling above her. There was another one of those irritating decorations, mockingly hanging higher than the others have so far. With a huff Nightingale forgoes her original plan of allowing herself to be in his company, telling herself she’ll allow it when everything was over and done with. With outstretched fingers, the Archer tries her hardest to reach, even going too far as to raise up out of her heels upon tiptoes.
After a few seconds, it was clear that her effort was for naught. The mistletoe dangled too much out of her reach, and she figures her last resort would be to jump. However, before she could make herself look anymore foolish, someone else snatches the mistletoe from it’s place, removing it before she could. Nightingale glares as to exclaim that she required no help, but when she realizes it is Dantès who stands before her.
She had completely forgotten the fact she had just spotted him; it made sense that her silly behavior would draw his attention and cause him to cease it before it became an awkward problem. ❝ Mister— ❞ Words fall upon awkward silence, realization dawning on her of their positions now. Despite him taking down the mistletoe, it still hung above the two of them due to his own height.
Her first thought is to snatch it from his hand and throw it into the box of removed decor.
Her second is her wondering if he was purposely being crafty in his actions, if it was his intent all along to come across her in the midst of her work. Nightingale wouldn’t put that beneath him, and the idea amuses her ever so slightly. Of course, it could all just be mere coincidence. Either way, the moment was an opportune one, and she wouldn’t pass up a chance to show her appreciation for him.
Shifting the box into one arm, she reaches out with her freed hand to take hold on his cloak. Nightingale doesn’t give him any time to say a word, and once again reaches up, this time to place a chaste kiss upon his lips, allowing herself to linger so it’s more than just a minuscule peck. It’s a thing of gratitude, and nothing more, and she dare thinks that her lips have become used to his own. The faint dust visible on her cheeks as she pulls away is due to the season’s chill, and nothing else obviously. ❝ …Merry Christmas, Mister. ❞
With that, the nurse finally takes the mistletoe out of his hand, dropping it into the box with the rest.
ecaradis replied to your post: He sneezes — did somebody mention him?
DO YOU HAVE A COLD…
“... It seems that whoever is in charge of keeping the halls clean is doing a rather poor job at it. Do not be alarmed, it is simply stray dust that caused me to sneeze.”
❝ Last night an intoxicated staff member asked me what ‘base’ I have gotten to with a ‘certain Avenger’, as they put it. I was unable to ask them to elaborate as I sedated them with my newly discovered method and put them to bedrest for their drunkenness. However I was not aware I was required for a mission; are these ‘bases’ medical camps that I am required to check? ❞
“In any other case I would have advised strongly against punching people with cacao seeds in a fist but it seems that individual deserved to be put out: for both their alcohol abuse and improper remarks. However, I cannot help but have a feeling that they were insinuating something else — definitely not mission related, as I do not recall either of us having to depart in near future. Could it be a synonym to ‘having come to an agreement’, as that would mean we share the same ‘base’ of thinking?”
“... Although knowing the staff and their penchant for masking an inappropriate meaning with seemingly innocent words, I would not be surprised if the meaning ends up being quite revolting.”
oh god I haven't written in a while but I'm gonna scream about tcomc rn because it's important it's very very important I'm just so so so so soft after rereading some chapters bc Dantès explicitly calls Max his son, AND VALENTINE HIS DAUGHTER I JUST CANNOT
because like it shows a fuckton just how deeply he cares for ppl he loves (Max) because Val is Villefort's daughter, and it takes Dantès just. 20. seconds to chill when he learns that Val is the one Max loves and he's instantly like ok I'm gonna help you Max ??? AND THEN HE PROCEEDS TO PULL 4. ALL. NIGHTERS. JUST TO MAKE SURE VAL IS SAFE ???? HELLO???
i mean it's mostly because it's Max and Dantès loves loves loves Morrels with all his heart but still shows that he'd stop at nothing for people he cares about??? like as much as you don't want to get on his bad side you also don't want to upset ppl he likes
❝ …I would have expected those words to come from a certain young sailor over yourself. Are you alright? Did you hit your head? I request that you follow me to the medical ward for an examination — memory loss is a severe problem. ❞
“... Are you not aware of the fact that I cannot possibly have a memory loss due to a certain skill? I was thinking out loud about something... else.”
“Ah, but can you imagine being a French count and having been permanently bound to exist without death due to atrocities you commited during your life? I absolutely cannot comprehend how that might feel.”
no. love can’t, and won’t, fix everything nor everyone. there are things that are better left unfixed, things that don’t need to be fixed. the ideal that you’ll need to lose negative parts of yourself in order to receive love, or for love to remove your character’s flaws is silly.
It’s based on the idea of character development / progression for Dantès from the novel; to take it from this meta, Avenger Dantès is “the Agent of God; and what is important that he is deified. [...] There is nothing human, he is somebody who is above the humanity. He is the Avenger who was sent by God.” while Foreigner represents a later identity, ‘Edmond Dantès, the Count of Monte-Cristo’, and “in this identity, he is de-deified, and remains to live as a simple ‘human’ again.”
The verse meta explicitly states that Foreigner Dantès is no longer a count, which does not correlate quite well with what I just pointed out: but we have to keep in mind that what transpired in the novel and Dantès as a Heroic Spirit are different circumstances. While in both cases Dantès is made to be an avenger through humanity (in the novel, with ‘help’ from Danglars & co; in FGO, it is from his image among humanity), I believe Heroic Spirit Dantès would not want to associate with count’s title anymore: because he always requested to be called ‘the count’, it is ingrained that Avenger = count. Avenger’s character was born as a count, while novel’s Dantès initially was a simple sailor who rose to nobility through buying a title of a count. It only makes sense that Heroic Spirit Dantès would have the opposite character progression: he would never willingly point his title as a count anymore, essentially viewing himself as a simple human.
As the novel puts it, “a man, who, like Satan, thought himself for an instant equal to God, but who now acknowledges with Christian humility that God alone possesses supreme power and infinite wisdom.” (taken from Dantès’ letter to Max in the last chapter) Which leads Foreigner Dantès to the mindset that God is giving him a chance to save his soul with that encounter with an eldritch horror. In the novel, the idea of Dantès’ salvation is, quoting him, “May God accept my atonement in the preservation of these two existences!” For Foreigner, his type of salvation would be being kind to people, much like his younger self.
Technically speaking, Foreigner Dantès is a mix of young Edmond and Edmond in the end of the novel, but there is also a problem that he would not hesitate to erase an existence if they are abusing his kindness / being a horrible person in general. It is derived from his existence as an Avenger and the idea of bringing justice to ‘sinners’ as his core of a Heroic Spirit. Since Foreigner is an altered Avenger, it is not quite possible to remove this way of thinking.
Essentially, Foreigner is a less dangerous (relatively) version of the Avenger, and he also displays much more emotions compared to the count. However, it is important to note that he retains the count’s intelligence, memories and skills, and in addition to that has a power of a foreign existence: engaging him in combat is extremely dangerous, but he can prove to be a fearful ally if you manage to find a way to deal with his life energy siphoning trait.
Whispers in the dark have become familiar — for the Avenger is the shadow dweller, showing not his face to the light of the day without good reason: but he was nowhere to be found during the attack on Chaldea. He vanished, leaving no trace of his existence — only a familiar presence in the dreams reminded of him.
Yet, he is not the only being who dwells in the alternate dimension — an encounter with a monstrosity he never thought to exist has transformed him in a Foreigner. Nothing comes at no price, however.
His white hair tapers near the waist, its ends soot black — it would remind one of his ‘count’ form, but before them is no count, but a simple human. And Edmond Dantès is his name. Clad in simple black clothing of his time period, he appears nothing like the familiar Avenger, not in presence, nor in emotions.
After all, he has known forgiveness.
He is no longer an Avenger who seeks retribution against the whole world, or sinners. He is no longer an Agent of God, who does His deed. Foreigner is polite and humble (in comparison with his Avenger counterpart), and will not needlessly enter into fights. All he seeks is salvation of his soul; perhaps, he shows too much of his young self sometimes. However, do not mistake such behaviour for the loss of combat skills: Foreigner has less patience than an Avenger you used to know. And he is less willing to forgive deliberate mistakes. Like an endless shadow, his being will consume you, should you be blinded by his light.
Please, refer to him as Monsieur Dantès. He is no longer a count.
█ █ █ █ █ █ █ A. What once used to be a class skill is now a remnant tranformed in a siphoning ability. Previously it absorbed grudges and resentment in the area, and were you to feel any hatred towards the Avenger, it would become his power. Now it feeds on the life force around the Foreigner. The speed and rate at which it is absorbed can be controlled, but effects like wilting flowers and weakness of strangers nearby are always present. Additionally, it seems to not work on those who the Foreigner deems as trusted; and it provides the same effects as Self-Restoration (Magical Energy) D.
EXISTENCE OUTSIDE THE DOMAIN A. It lurks under the Earth, but it cannot be found nor can it be seen. In the void it is, that can not be accessed without specific means; and still, it and the resentful count met. Is the Foreigner the real Edmond Dantès, or is it the horror that has dwelled deep in the caverns?
INDEPENDENT MANIFESTATION B. A skill strengthened from scattered remnants of one in the Avenger’s Saint Graph. Shall someone call for him, he will appear to bestow his power upon the summoner... if he deems them worthy.
Personal Skills and Noble Phantasms are identical to the Avenger counterpart. Monte-Cristo Mythologie now takes the appearance of an innocent pocket watch engraved with the familiar symbol: what it shows is unknown.
A THREAT TO HUMANITY. For this being to roam the land is to doom the life on it: there is never a blossoming flower near his feet, there will never be a chirping bird singing on a tree nearby. Everything withers, and everything will eventually perish. The only way to stop it is to fulfill this Servant’s wishes: salvation. Edmond Dantès has once been saved, but the masses demanded encore: more bloodshed, more revenge, more! — and now, he wants to be cleansed from this sin. After all, he has once encountered Satan and has been guided by God: how can one say this is not Providence dictating his fate again, having lead him to the being of such power?
His outfit is simple, attracting no attention: he seems like a normal passer-by — and he is one, unless you are the one to demand the show to go on. The Foreigner does not tolerate needless torture of souls, and he will make sure not a trace of you remains in the reality. In a blink of an eye, a nuisance will disappear.
In his manners and behaviour there is nothing off-putting: it is his general presence that makes living beings uncomfortable around him — after all, a horror is not to be gazed upon by mere humans, despite it wearing a mask. An unusual kindness radiates from him, the side that Avenger so avidly hid: but shall you abuse it, the consequences won’t be pleasant. The Foreigner is capable of forgiving on one condition: you must regret what you did from the bottom of your heart, with every fiber of your existence. Do not try to escape his gaze, as it will see the minute lie: in those dark pupils of his surges the deep darkness.
It is not the form of his true existence that will corrode your mind, but rather an uncontrollable fright upon seeing the black mass surging: it’s wrong, it should not exist, there is no place for such monstrosity in this world; but, in the end, it is but a gelatinous mass of deep black with no light reflected whatsoever. All the Foreigner would do is apologize for not watching himself: most likely he did not intend to scare you.
After all, Edmond Dantès has gone through hell on Earth — he would not be the count of Monte-Cristo if he allowed some puny existence overturn his mind.
The Foreigner’s True Name is indeed Edmond Dantès, the Dweller in Darkness.
RULES: you can only say “guilty ✔ ” or “innocent ✘”. you are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages or asks you. repost, don’t reblog!
Asked someone to marry you? — guilty ✔
Kissed one of your friends? — guilty ✔
Danced on a table in a bar / tavern? — guilty ✔
Ever told a lie? — guilty ✔
Had feelings for someone you can’t have? — innocent ✘
Ever kissed someone of the same sex? — innocent ✘
Kissed a picture? — innocent ✘
Slept until 5pm? — guilty ✔
Fallen asleep at work / school? — guilty ✔
Held a snake? — guilty ✔
Worked at a fast food chain / restaurant? — innocent ✘
Stolen something? — guilty ✔
Been fired from a job? — innocent ✘
Done something you regret? — guilty ✔
Laughed until something you were drinking came out of your nose? — innocent ✘
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? — innocent ✘
Kissed in the rain? — guilty ✔
Sat on a roof top? — guilty ✔
Kissed someone you shouldn’t have? — guilty ✔
Sang in the shower? — innocent ✘
Been pushed into a body of water with all your clothes on? — guilty ✔
Shaved your head? — innocent ✘
Slept naked? — innocent ✘
Made a boyfriend / girlfriend cry? — innocent ✘
Shot a gun? — guilty ✔
Still loved someone you shouldn’t? — innocent ✘
Have / had a tattoo? — guilty ✔
Liked someone, but will never tell who? — innocent ✘
Been too honest? — guilty ✔
Ruined a surprise? — innocent ✘
Been told that you’re beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? — guilty ✔
Stalked someone? — guilty ✔
Thoughts about murder? — guilty ✔
How about mass murder? — guilty ✔
Cheated on someone? — innocent ✘
Gotten so angry that you cried? — guilty ✔
Tried to stay away from someone for their own good? — innocent ✘
Thoughts about suicide? — guilty ✔
Had a girlfriend / boyfriend? — guilty ✔
Gotten totally drunk during a holiday? — innocent ✘
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