HOPE'S LAST;

Aimless wander had brought her to a park in Golden with the final touches ahead of the eve's celebrations. Families wandered through with children ecstatic over what tomorrow might bring, couples who propped themselves against one another — almost everyone had someone with them.

truthfully it didn't matter much. she's too busy trying to ignore the disgust rises the longer he stares, the anger that claws at the back of her throat, begging for release. it is a constant battle: holding tight to who she is vs the heart that begs to be what she is. who knew having a beating thing in your chest again would be so much trouble?

perhaps it had been a blessing when that Servant tore it out.

" What is it you humans say? Ah, that's right. You look like you've seen a ghost. " comes her voice to cut through the silence, but it carries almost nothing in it. eyes narrow like daggers as she reaches out, fingers curling to grasp the mage's chin, head tilting in thought. " Well? Cat got your tongue? I don't recall you ever being this quiet, Fujiimaru."

      It's not like this is his first time encountering the self-proclaimed President. This is, however, the first time he's seen her on this island — and the fear and confusion is reflexive, like turning the corner and suddenly seeing someone standing there when you were supposed to be home alone. It makes him inhale sharply, all of his joints briefly locked as he tried to process this.

      This is all wrong, he thinks. Not just the fact that she's here, or that he finds himself unable to resist as her fingers hold fast to his chin; he can't decide if those fingers are searingly hot, or so shockingly cold that it simply mimics heat. There's just something markedly different about all this. Maybe it's the way she's looking at him, or the way her syntax sounds so close but not quite the same — not quite Olga's, not quite U-Olga's, and if it's a mixture of the two then the ratio feels slightly uneven. His throat feels like sandpaper by the time he musters a response, but all he can offer is a simple question:

he is supposed to rarely show any emotion apart from the occasional displeasure or judgment, but this. this is getting him to bring his entire deadpan stare. he had heard the muscles in the face could hurt with lack of movement, but instead he finds that it hurts when they stay in a specific expression for more than five minutes.

“You could give Marie some serious competition. And she’s honest.”

sometimes too honest. he considers it the opposite of how he sees his own bare heart: a strength. but he doesn't need her to tell her that. she trusts him when he simply stares and offers her hand with her eyes almost looking like before.

      HE   can't help but stare blankly in return. It's one thing when Ritsuka teases him about what's 'obvious' to her — she's like the twin he never knew he had, and knowing things no one else could know is just par for the course. But if even Goetia seems like he's experiencing actual physical pain from it... Well, 'embarrassing' doesn't even begin to cover it. What is it exactly about his face that's so obvious ? He compared it to a neon sign, that's as far from subtle as you can get. He's not literally glowing, is he ? So many bizarre things have happened both in Chaldea and on this island that he wouldn't even question it at this point. It brings up another mortifying question: how does the Avenger-in-question not notice ? Or worse, does she notice and elect to ignore it ? He's not sure which one is wo—

      ❛   — Wait.  ❜   Wait just a damn minute.

      Marie ?

      That's what he said, right ? Who is Marie ? … Did he not come here alone ? Fujimaru's head swivels toward the booths behind him, somewhat surprised a fight hadn't broken out already while they'd been talking ( and also somewhat surprised they weren't the fight to break out while they'd been talking ). Although it was instinct for his gaze to make a beeline for Jeanne Alter, he makes a steady sweep soon after — and if he weren't standing completely still, he thinks he might've literally been bowled over.

      There she was, just sitting there seemingly without a care in the world. It's not like she blended in, even on an island where every other person had some unique facet to their appearance. Honestly, Olga Marie was the only 'Marie' he could think of... but he told himself that was crazy. Clearly, truth was once again crazier than fiction.

" Hey, sleepyhead, get up! I need you to come with me today!" and no, she did not call him beforehand.

They say when you lucid dream, you should always walk back the way you came — and as flickers of every lostbelt, every random event, every singularity flash somewhere behind his eyes, it feels as if he's walking backwards toward the body he left behind on his bed. Sometimes more present-day concerns creep up, like wondering if he remembered to get milk yesterday or thinking about how far Jeanne Alter's manga's gotten already ( despite some procrastination here and there ), and how proud she looked lately. But he's still there all the same — mentally walking backward. Sifting through old memories as if his brain still can't process all the information that's been thrown at him over the past couple of years, or perhaps wondering if it missed some key bit of info that could—————————————

      — He isn't proud of the sound he made. It sort of defies any attempt to translate it, actually. Ritsuka may still have been making said sound if he wasn't trying so hard to form words.

she has no wishes, still she hopes for those small traces of happiness, and cradles them on her hands with an understanding of how precious every day is. she has no wishes, her goodbyes were already said, not only to her friends, but her mentor, too. she will never talk of how much she imagines of a bug falling forever into the abyss, and how it will forever haunt them all.

I kept you waiting a pretty long time, didn’t I…?

if Arturia holds the hand he offers her, he would not blame her decision, and he would not chastise her. how many times is anyone allowed to say farewell and survive from the wounds of every separation? she gave up everything she had for an ending that would satisfy no one, and that is a tragedy.

      There may be more talented, more capable mages out there that could steel their resolve when a Servant dies and the contract ends, because a Servant is 'just a familiar' to them; hell, there's probably plenty of mages out there that wouldn't care if a mage or regular human died right in front of them, either. As for him, he mourns every loss — because it is a loss. Caster seems to be bracing him for that loss, choosing her words carefully to get the point across. You can never really tell in a place like this if the friend you encounter is as they were, or in a state that comes much later — so he's glad to have an answer right away... But it's not like it changes anything. He was grieving his friend's loss before he even saw her here.

"Fou... Fou!"

      TOO   late. It's a bit like seeing a beloved amusement park mascot smoking on their ten-minute break...

every time she stops, a cheerful smile follows when she finds something new on her journey. the city is buzzing with sounds, and so much that she can never stop finding excitement at where her legs will take her. she talks cheerfully to the vendors and strangers, inspecting the treats and buying some for her sister. they have no need to eat, but Arturia cares, and it shows in different ways.

but something is distracting her. she has no idea why but it is like someone keeps sending her glances.

“Yes? Can I help you?” Arturia turns around and the smile stays. it turns softer on the corners at the familiar face.

      Now, she's no longer a face in the crowd — albeit one he's always felt he was bound to be familiar with someday. Now, the very fact that she's here is a miracle — and it makes the thought of responding a little overwhelming. His breath hitches in his throat, and the throat itself feels painfully swollen all of a sudden. The weight of everything he wants to say is almost paralyzing, and he wonders if she can feel it in the beats of silence that stretch between them.

      Can she help him ? Hasn't she done enough ?

the candle lighting for the lost had a purpose, this she knows and remembers well and it is a tradition she could follow. she could light a candle for those select few. ector. grimr. totrot. galahad. wryneck. woodwose. her daughter. her knights. even tonelico. names and faces that were lost in pursuit of maintaining proper history. her story book had come to a close and what remained of it was nothing more than whispers on the wind. she would never learn if others found it like a fairy tale and perhaps that is for the better.

      From what he's heard, it's intended to honor those who've come and gone from the city. Whether a genuine bit of magic or just good old-fashioned peace of mind for those left behind, it's a way to let those who've gone on ahead know they're still thought of and hopefully send them some good luck. Plenty of people use it for those they've left behind, though, too — whether they never entered this city to begin with, or passed on back in their own world. However people end up using it, it's a great idea...

      The only problem is that he doesn't even know where to begin. If he tried to honor the Lost as they came to mind, would he accidentally leave anyone out ? If he tried to narrow it down, would those he didn't pick feel restless — the same way they say you sneeze when someone's talking about you ? But then again, if he tried to use a collective candle for them all or for a few groups, doesn't that make him a bit of a cheapskate ? If he made a mental picture, tried to line up every single person he's lost, would that bring on more curses for the Count to deal with ? If he tried to light a few every single day, would there even be enough days ? It's a lot to consider... and it's entirely possible he's overthinking it. But in the meantime, while he mulls over all these possible scenarios, there's at least one person he can light a candle for in good conscience… One entirely untouched by the complicated nature of Lostbelts, or the dire circumstances of Chaldea. Someone time had already forgot long before they passed on... even moreso once Earth was bleached 'clean'.

after all, the first time she entered the Abyss, it wasn't willingly. this is which should lessen the impact a considerable amount. maybe.

but that was different. this is just for fun. " You read the deal, right? We jump into the hole, get into he Abyss, race to the exit, then rinse and repeat to see how fast we can be. Easy peasy." speaks the older of the two mages, fingers quickly tying her hair up into a ponytail. her lips are pulled into that signature grin as already can she begin to feel the adrenaline as she turns around to face the other, her back to the large hole in the center of the city.

" Don't take too long now-- I don't want to beat you before you even get there!" and wih a wink, she lets herself fall back, quickly being swallowed up into the darkness and once more entering the Abyss.

      But that's just how it usually is, right ? It wouldn't even be the first time he was trapped in endless darkness, or the first time he fell with no real assurance of a landing. It's a little astounding how many times that primal fear's been played with during his time with Chaldea, actually. And it never really got any easier... He couldn't be nonchalant about it — it was always the same amount of frightening. But he'd jump in anyway, and take off running, and do it at least twice more — a little bit faster than the last. So... Yeah. It seemed prudent to stretch first. What else was there to say ? Well — maybe one more thing. ❛  We'll just have to hope Mashu doesn't hear about it until after we get the prize.  ❜   

As midnight struck on this warm summer's eve the sound of static rang out across the city. It was distracting, piercing, and so incessantly loud that it would have stirred almost anyone from their slumber. A hiss that sounded from each and every television for roughly thirty seconds, the sound and distorted display eventually cut out before each screen began to play something unusual.

It was a commercial for a multimedia project of some sort. A game? A television series? A collectable merch line? It was all of these things at once but the commercial was rather old-fashioned. Like something from the 90s.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? PICK UP SPIRAMONSTERS TODAY!

The advertisement ended with this seemingly standard line and yet as it came to an end and regular programming returned, the quiet city came to life with surprise. At the side of every character that had been brought into the city from another world was a strange creature, one that embodied traits from the person they had appeared beside.

Their very own Spiramonster!

--------------------

"Ofiuco... When you said you wanted to run a "social experiment" you never indicated you'd be creating this much data." One Star remarked to the android that sat before a wall of computer monitors that reflected their light off of her artificial eyes. Ofiuco did not reply immediately and instead continued to type, fingers moving at an inhuman pace as she finalized the programming.

When she finally finished she spun several times in her chair with a blank expression on her face. She was an eccentric young lady. "I just wanted to see how they reacted. This is a classic concept, isn't it? After all, they deserve to have fun once in a while too."

---------------------

After a very confusing night caring for some very cryptic critters, at 7am the next morning some context was finally provided to the city by the way of another television broadcast featuring Ofiuco in a lab coat. "Welcome to the world of... Oh... I should avoid copying too much, shouldn't I? Um. As you all may have noticed you've each received a Spiramonsters. They are very much real. At least as real as you are."

"You'll be taking care of them for a short time. Raise them. Train them. Befriend them. Love them. But also you should partake in our Spiramonster Cup, known otherwise as The Challenger's Road. It would provide us with some very valuable data." She raised her hand and a map of the island appeared with various locations marked with star symbols. "There are challenges for your Spiramonsters to accomplish at these points. Complete one of the eight and we'll reward you. I pinky promise."

Was she not going to elaborate on that?

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Welcome to our twenty-fifth event, THE CHALLENGER'S PATH!

It's probably very obvious what inspired this event, but it was naturally drawn from the very popular monster collecting genre.

This event is the first of two new events that will be run over the summer. The second will run in August and will be connected in terms of story but will be a different kind of event entirely!

The event ends at 11:59:59PM EST on July 21st.

After the event ends any Spiramonsters created will lose their physical forms, however you will be able to preserve them in Spiragotchi devices you receive for completing a challenge (see: The Challenger's Road).

There are plans to make the monsters you create more permanent fixtures in the group, however this won't happen until the conclusion of the August event!

SPIRAMONSTER GUIDE

So what is a Spiramonster? It's a monster designed after the character that acts as their companion, possessing traits of the character that it has this close relationship with.

These means that a Spiramonster could share physical, personality, or ability traits with your character and we encourage you to design them with these things in mind, though you don't need to if you want to design something completely original!

Each Spiramonster can have up to five attacks that you can base on your muse's own abilities / personality / etc. For example: if your character was an idol you could make up music related abilities, or if your character has like super strength you could give them a strength related move.

Simply for comparison's sake, a Spiramonster cannot be stronger than your average Pokemon. It also cannot be any larger than a horse. You can model them after animals, machines, objects, whatever you'd like so long as you don't just make them little people.

On that note whether or not they can communicate in the human tongue is up to you!

Otherwise feel free to be as creative as you would like! You can describe them with words or if you feel up to it you can demonstrate how they look with other talents!

Feel free to name them whatever you'd like (so long as it's appropriate)!

You can give a copy of your own Spiramonster to a friend via an app that will appear on your character's phone. Whether you want to give it for free, after beating you in a battle, or for money or a favour is up to you though! You can only have a party of five Spiramonsters however!

You do not need to create a Spiramonster for event participation. However you must write with someone who has one and we do encourage it, because they will be relevant in the August event in some capacity.

THE CHALLENGER'S ROAD

Ofiuco mentioned the Spiramonster Cup, otherwise known as The Challenger's Road. So what is this?

A map has been included on everyone's phones that marks challenge locations on the island map. Go there to be given a challenge by one of the Stars or other bodies involved in the city project in the form of a projection.

The challenges will range in goals from battles, to obstacle courses, to treasure hunts; there's a great variety! You can find a list of these challenges here.

Complete one of these challenges either in five-hundred words (per participant) across one or multiple threads or in five-hundred word drabble to unlock 500 Stars and a Spiragotchi device that will allow you to take care of your Spiramonster in pocket form when the event ends!

You do not need to complete a challenge to get rank-up participation! Any post partaking in the event will do!

the timing is terrible. he has someone waiting for him because she wanted to eat somewhere else. it had to his luck this had to happen at Denny's.

he finds himself offering a prolonged stare — hearing his order in the background. he continues staring, deliberating if he should turn around and pretend he saw nothing, but his eyes stay in the same place. what he does not say is evident, the glance he gives to a familiar woman sitting at another table says it all. unbelievable. this seems to always happen lately.

“… Is she aware you did not bring her as a friend?”

      There's no time to ponder any of that, though, because he's immediately decided to fling one of Chaldea's Masters into crisis mode. Ritsuka feels a chill run down his back in record time and immediately steps in closer — something he'd never seen himself doing in the past, but now absolutely imperative as his voice lowers just above a hiss.

      She was always going to be several steps ahead of him, both of them convinced their footprints would begin to fade with the tide sooner or later; hers would just so happen to fade first. That smile of hers was always going to be strained when it came to this, and he would always know not to ask why, and she would always know he was actively choosing to not ask why. 'Elephant in the room' didn't even begin to cover the sensation roiling in their guts.