Fragment 61 Insight

This was one of the fragments I was looking forward to writing because Nitocris is such a fun, mixed bag. She’s prideful, but she’s also hiding some very colorful emotions and feelings underneath all that. Couple that with the amazing 2017 “Imperial Garment” that is her first ascension? Absolute gold. I still have her at first ascension because I never tire of a Medjed curb stomping some enemy riders.

So, it was only proper I make her entry based on her hidden insecurities and inferiority complex. She believes she’s a proud pharaoh and presents herself as such, until she has to measure up to others. Then her self-doubt kicks in and everything usually spirals out of control. Add in her overreactions and tendency to jump to conclusions… instant recipe for a bumbling Egyptian mess, every time.

The topper? Make it something stupid simple so it feels perfectly slice of life to meet someone’s expectations… like baking a cake for a party!

Of all the kitchen staff, it would likely be Boudica to help her. Tamamo would have worked too considering she’s divine, and thus Nitocris would feel more at ease, but I opted for Boudica’s pure friendliness to help her along.

Initially, Babbage was going to be sued for Scene II, but I switched it to Tesla to show him in more spots other than just the summoning chamber and a few other places. Babbage will get some refund scenes later, mind you.

While the spotlight is on Nitocris and promotes her development and realizations, the fragment also serves as a landmark for Ozymandias and Gilgamesh. They’ve come quite a way over time, and what better way to show it than a feast celebrating a declared friendship between the two rivals (Thanks Enkidu)? It was a good way to add some extra pressure onto Nitocris, who now has to impress the great King of Heroes as well, who’s known for judging very harshly.

Though the similarities between Nitocris and Martha’s actions are similar, I wanted to develop her without having Martha actually appear. It would have been a tad blunt in my opinion, so I opted for mentions instead. Their interaction will come later as compromise for missed opportunity, but I found it a better fit later down the line with another scene. Pre-planning A+ at work, yet again.

Next week: Chaldea was a vacation. Even with summoning attempts restarting this month, it was spacious and relaxing. Perfect for a rather lazy and laid-back individual like himself! However, despite this pseudo-vacation, he took his roles seriously when needed… He was a hero, after all.