Fragment 69 Insight

Back when the series first started as a simple fic, someone posted a recommendation for it on the reddit. Someone then joked there should be some sort of porn scene, and I offhandedly commented back that will be Fragment 69. Well, it wasn’t shown, but it was definitely highly inferred and a plot point.

So, Cu’s Fragment provided some serious issues at first. There’s not really much to go off with conflict, and he’s perfect for Slice of Life stuff. Unfortunately, that meant the fragment felt a touch too ‘episodic’ on first draft. I introduced a general, rather common problem to fix that and that made the scenes feel more properly connected and related. Essentially though, it’s someone else’s problem that’s affecting Cu’s rather ordinary days, and since it’s a friend, he’s more invested in remedying it when it drags on.

So, I granted two people their fantasy: Medb and Gabrielle slept with Cu at the same time. Instead of having both overly happy about the success, I decided to make a small contrast to the results. “Lancer Luck” strikes in a different way, and it’s a small little joke how the saber class, or at least a specific saber, beat him in an unexpected angle.

Other than that, I showed some other friendships that hold strong as well as a few new faces. The woman referenced by Hijikata last entry? Appeared here with one of Part 1’s last remaining servants. Those interactions were straightforward, so there’s no real need to address it further, nor the multitude of hints I’ve dropped as the typical foreshadowing/interconnectivity between entries.

There was initially a depiction of Li Shuwen and Cu sparring, but it was a touch redundant since Li’s was two entries ago. It turned into just a reference line, but there was no need to describe typical Celtic battle-fervor through the usual means. Instead, we got Scathach’s intense battle with a fish.

I think the entry turned out pretty well the second time through. A few funny moments, some heartwarming stuff, and plenty of the usual introspection. It offers plenty of Slice of Life and a problem solved by a rather ‘ordinary’ response (considering they’re servants).

Teaser: They’ve always had an idea what was supposed to be… what was always true. They looked forward to it and pursed it, but after months in Chaldea, they weren’t quite sure who they were anymore, nor what should be.