Fragment 49 Insight

Been a bit since there’s been a bronze servant showcased, but it was time to shed a bit lighter on Salon de Marie again. What better than the stoic assassin behind the bar and his point of view?

When one thinks of a bar scene, it’s usually either a party or depressed situation. I decided to showcase a few different ones to shake up the general stereotype just a touch. There was initially going to be a sad scene mixed in with the others to showcase how he handles those, but I decided there’s been enough of that in a row thanks to the singularity. Anishka’s scene served enough for the negative end of the spectrum by use of fear and uncertainty. It serves well with the Emiya scene to help showcase a wider variety of situations.

However, the real meat here is seeing how the stoic Sanson has learned to adapt as a retrained bartender thanks to Mata Hari and Marie. By use of different individuals and scenarios, I tried to show that he’s still just as human as the others and is capable of learning. With a strong medical background, he would use that insight and understanding as advantages in a situation. His swift analysis would then allow him to properly respond with his newfound wisdom and improving social skills.

The real trick was doing it all in one location through several different scenarios… all in one night. It’s a small window into what he would likely have to deal with on occasion in such a filled facility. As stated before, for months he was just a stoic mixer with great drinks but sub-par hospitality due to his reserved nature. This is a giant example of the leaps he’s doing for his queen and himself to improve on that.

This chapter, while serving to bring out Sanson’s character, also held a lot of foreshadowing. It’s fairly obvious what’s coming down the pipeline for some, but others were left a touch vaguer. It also had to be balanced and blended to ensure it didn’t dominate a scene too much, since this is Sanson’s fragment. However, they still needed to feel natural in their own ways, and I hope they did.

As a final note, that won’t be the last you see of full-throttle Shakespearean speech. Having him and Sanson (whose noble upbringing likely made him read his works) converse was a rare treat and development for both, but it won’t be the last for the playwright. I find his dialogue incredibly fun to write after studying his works for a few years personally. Having him and Sanson use it as everyday greetings and conversation was something I’ve been looking forward to revealing, but it won’t be abused.

Next week, Chaldea’s curious event is unveiled at Fantasia Resort! A long-awaited competition finally heats up! What awaits the beach-going residents of the facility before Tamamo’s Chilean asado?