Fragment 96 Insight

Now the fun begins with one of the darker subplots for the series. It will be handled rather quickly compared to most, and the urgency obviously has a lot to do with it. It’s my goal that it will help develop the characters swiftly and realistically though.

As a note, I’m taking some curious creative routes with Penthesilea’s Mad Enhancement. The logic should explain itself as you read more and unravel my adjustment, but it will make plenty of sense in two fragments. It triggers as expected, but I merely added other circumstances to prove that it has its own quirks, sort of like how I did Nightingale’s when she acknowledges Elsa’s mental health study likely supersedes her forceful techniques.

That said, the explosive ending shouldn’t have overshadowed Irisviel as the lead of this fragment. It was merely the most jarring hook in the entire fragment. For good reason, to be fair. Most of her fragment is leisurely, day to day stuff. You get a bunch of closure on some things, a few interesting points in others. Overall, it’s mostly calm small talk and literally normal days, as the title would lead you to believe.

It’s mainly because the premise centers around stress and anxiety. For a homunculus who never understood the urgencies of humans before, it would become an unwanted concept. But it would be one that must be addressed as a mother and a curious individual who wants to keep experiencing tthe positive parts of life. So when something truly stressful happens, and Irisviel is left with her hands tied, its impact is a little more forceful because of all the ‘small, curious concerns’ and near-misses everyone read just moments before.

I say it from time to time, but there’s really not much more to expand upon for Irisviel. Her interactions are straightforward and based off how a mother would act about them. There wasn’t much to really make her grow or develop considering the real explosive instance was the Memorial Essence, or receiving new family members. So, save for the tense development in the fragment, this was mostly just about drawing extra lines in friendships, making new ones, and helping to color the lives of Chaldeans a bit more.

As a note, if Gordolf isn’t acting quite like how you’d expect him to, take what he revealed thus far into consideration. He may be a bit of an oaf, but I’d easily argue he knows what he’s doing too (Paper Moon incident in LB2 as example). Give it a bit before some of his more comedic stuff pops out, but for now, he’s new, and he’s certainly trying not to step on any servant’s toes.

Teaser: It’s strange how fast things can change. One minute, you’re on a breezy plain. The next, your ship is caught in the wrath of the gods and you’re wondering if you’ll make it to shore. Had this been his era, the answer would have been obvious. Now, after many weeks in Chaldea, he’d come to understand things weren’t as straightforward anymore. Being a hero was far more difficult this time around, but that’s who he was. Nothing would stop him from staying that way.