Summer Collaboration Contest 2023

[DracoScribe]

Oh my gosh...we cut it so close...
But here it is! My collab with Dreamerless.
(I also just realized the lack of entries... uuuuhhhh wait does that mean the extension will end up being done?)

---

A peaceful lake, with a beautiful view of green mountains, trees and fields. Well, some might say the nude section of the shore might ruin it, but that was easy to ignore for most since it was just a small part of it. The most important part was that it was peaceful, and of course, in such a peaceful body of water, some might want to be on the lake. Some might want to because they had the urge to enjoy the atmosphere there. Some might want to fish. And some...might just want some form of escape.

Luckily for all those types, but especially the last one, there was someone more than willing to accommodate.

On the shore, right by the nudist section, there was a sign that said,

Want a ride where nothing can disturb you? Just blow the horn! Fee is whatever is the lowest form of currency you got, like cents or copper coins or even a single digit bill. Consider it giving to my collection.

Most were confused or skeptical about the sign. After all, why the hell would a boat ride would put its sign by the nudist section? But of course, there were some whose curiosity was greater than their wariness and blew the horn. And after that...well, most people by now, when asked about the odd sign, will tell you,

"Oh? The sign? Ah yeah, that one. The helmsman says he did that so that only certain people can get on his ride. Something about 'only someone really getting away from things would dare look near a section plenty of people would be uncomfortable with'. In fact, ride's different for everyone...but it's worth it if you need a break or want a place to relax. The helmsman is great to talk to...or just someone to keep you company."

So you, curious visitor, also blow the horn.

And suddenly, on the shore right by the mysterious sign, a "boat" appeared with a very young, and very short, man saying,

"Yo. I'm Bergelmir. King of the Mountain Giants of Norse myth. You wanted a ride on the lake?"

Rider of the Variable Vessel
-- King of the Bergrisar --


Source

"Hmm? No way I could be a jotun? Oh, I'm a dwarf giant, you see, so of course I'm real small for one. But I can assure you, I'm a jotun through and through. Just ask one of the giant slayers. Though make sure you don't tell any of them that this ferry service is mine, okay?"

Class: Rider

"A simple designation, but that is all you need really. Oh I'm all for, as you'd call it, 'metaphorical bullshit', because it's always fun looking at things from new angles. But I am, unfortunately, not one of them...with my class designation that is. Being a Servant is all about metaphorical shenanigans, so I have of course I still have a fair share of my own."

Other Classes: None
True Name: Bergelmir
Alignment: True Neutral
Origin: Norse mythology

Parameters:

STR: A
END: A
AGI: E++
MGI: C
LCK: B
NP: A

Likes: "What I like? A nice nap. A good tune. An open ear. A sagacious mind. And by that I mean, I like to rest, I like music, I like anyone who's always open to learn and in turn I like the wise. Besides, obviously, my wife and children. But I hear Loki, or rather, Loki=Rod, is here, so I'm sure you're used to jotnar who love their spouse and children, yes?"
Dislikes: "...as in, really dislike? Because there are many, tiny, little things one dislikes and that list is incredibly large. Like the type of temperature you prefer your drinks. Or when you want to do laundry. Or what time you wake up in the day. And you dislike when any of those aren't met. ...haha, yes, I am stalling. Because, in a sense, I dislike everything and dislike nothing, because anything can bother me in any moment, but in the next moment I let anything go. But I guess, in the end, what I dislike to the point that I will not stand for it no matter the circumstances...anyone with a closed mind. Because one cannot be wise without realizing that there is always something new on the horizon. Yes, even being forced to work is nothing compared to that. I am willing to work and all. It's just...a preference to indulge my inclination for minimal movement is all."
Talent: Yelling, screaming, riding makeshift rafts

"Part of my name means 'yeller' for a reason."

Natural Enemy: Thor, Sir Jack (Vididii), and other giant slayers

"Thor is an obvious one, but really, anyone known for giant slaying is my 'natural enemy'. Like that giant slaying knight from King Arthur's era. Which is a shame, in his case. He's the kind of guy I would want to know better... Oh sure, my height might throw him off, but he's going to know I'm a giant no matter what. And when that happens, I'm ready to run away on ny ride. Hopefully, it won't come to that, though."

Armament: "My lúdr. Hmm? Where is it? It's this here staff. At least, it's part of my current ride. Gotta have something to look like some kind of oar for my job. Plus I can use it for a 'wise man look' if I need to. Don't worry, you'll get it soon enough."
Catalyst: "A lúdr. You know, the horn, or rather my vessel, that is why I'm a Rider. It's a small chance, but it can happen."

Class Skills

Riding (-)

A Skill that allows individuals to successfully ride all manner of mounts and vehicles. This skill, however, has been absorbed into his Noble Phantasm so he can theoretically ride any vehicle-like object. However, for living mounts, the skill is instead at a C rank.

"And by that, I mean, my Noble Phantasm does most of the 'riding' work for inanimate stuff...but regular, and living, mounts? I'm not that much better than most human riders, and definitely not the very skilled ones."

Magic Resistance (A)

The Rider class skill which allows servants to resist and negate thaumaturgy. As Bergelmir hails from the Age of Gods, in which magic was commonplace, he has this skill at an extremely high rank and can cancel all but the highest tier of magecraft.

"It's like an immune system, really. The more exposed you are to the stuff, the more you'll grow to resist it."

Personal Skills

Jotun Blood (A)

A skill which describes a servant with the blood of giants coursing through their veins. It greatly strengthens the physical statistics and endurance of the user. As Bergelmir is one of the elder giants and in fact a progenitor of an entire clan of jotunn, his physical prowess is unmatched, despite his rather puny size.

"Like they say, don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, don't judge a Servant by its vessel. I can stand toe-to-toe with some of the strongest, in physical strength, around. Oh, don't worry, I can control it. It'd be completely useless if I couldn't."

Voyage of Salvation (Blood) (A)

A skill that Bergelmir shares with the biblical Noah. It describes him as one who survived the flood of blood and rebuilt the world afterwards. Essentially, it is a tightening of fate that makes it more likely for him to survive any sea or blood based attacks, pulling together for another day of survival.

"In other words, I have better luck when I encounter floods, blood, or both. Doesn't mean I can cut corners, but every little bit helps."

Bear Yeller (A)

The literal translation of Bergelmir’s name is “Bear Yeller” and this skill also describes his magecraft. Essentially, it is the ability to call things or spells into being by yelling loudly or creating large amounts of noise. It is with this power that he was able to summon the vessel which he used to ride out the flood. Recreating this feat as a type of magic, he can call several useful objects from the ether.

"Or 'mountain yeller'. There's a couple of different translations you can go for with my name for the first part, but the second is always 'yeller'. Why do I yell? Well I could go and try a deep metaphor that makes me sound really sophisticated...but! There's an easy way to sum it up. And you more modern people put it best. It's 'Calling Your Attacks: the Magecraft'. Yup. That's it. That's basically what this is. Yes yes, I know we Servants do that all the time...but you get the idea! Right?"

Noble Phantasm

Scream for the Blood

Öskra eftir Blóðinu

Instruments of the Flood

"Ha... You really want to do this, huh? Really? ...fine. I did everything I could to not get to this point, you asked for it...and I enacted all the precautious I could make.
No more holding back.
NOBLE PHANTASM. RELEASE!"

Rank: A
Type: Anti-Vessel; Anti-Army

Bergelmir’s greatest feat was surviving the flood of Ymir’s blood that was spilled upon his death, a situation comparable to that of Noah. However, the story does not make clear what vessel he actually utilized; the word used could describe a ship, coffin, or even milk carton. So, instead, this phantasm takes a rather versatile role towards the situation.

Any vessel which Bergelmir steps foot on automatically becomes his and are treated as a Noble Phantasm. Whatever object he stands on becomes a vessel capable of even surviving the great flood of blood. It is in this way that anything his feet touch becomes a dangerous craft.

Additionally, upon the True Name Release of his Phantasm, the actual flood of blood will begin. The ground will be washed away in corrosive violent red and his enemies will find the hatred of Ymir in the flood doing great damage to them. Of course, Bergelmir will be unharmed and able to ride out the flood, although this does cause the weakness that if one is able to board his vessel, they can also find protection. However, Bergelmir dislikes using the True Name Release, as the collateral damage is simply too high.

Description

Velber 02

Ymir

, the Primordial Giant of Norse mythology. Long, long ago, after Odin, Ve and Vili came into existence, they had fought the

White Titan

Primordial Giant

and defeated her. With her death, the three brothers created the Norse world. With her death, Odin created Brynhildr and the Valkyries, to assist him in his machinations. With her death,

her primary directive

the wrath of the giant

was transferred to Surtr, setting him to destroy the Scandinavian Texture. And with her death...

...

her capability of space travel

the flesh of the giant

was transferred to Bergelmir, her "grandson".

Because, in truth, Bergelmir wasn't really her grandson...not in the usual sense, at least.

He was merely the son of one of earliest jotnar to exist, a bergrisi named Thrudgelmir, a giant who was not just large enough to be one mountain, but six. And just like Surtr, who had happened to gain the

directive

wrath

of

Velber 02

Ymir

, Thrudgelmir happened to gain her

vessel

flesh

, rendering him sturdier than ever before, letting him travel as far and wide as he wished. But Bergelmir was nowhere near the height of his father. He was small, smaller than a pin to him. So much of a dwarf of a bergrisi that if any other jotun saw him, they would likely have mocked him before they squished him underfoot. And not only was he small, he was dying. If his father was any other jotun, they probably wouldn't care, or at least be resigned.

But Thrudgelmir was neither.

Perhaps a little recklessly and a little impulsively, but completely selflessly, the jotun gave up everything of his being, his strength, his life, and, most notably...his gift. And so, his father's sacrifice, not only had Bergelmir gained his vitality, he had gained

Velber 02's

Ymir's

vessel

flesh

, and with it, an ability to help him in his rise as King of the Bergrisar.

In the time after

Velber 02's

Ymir's

death, the world was still

recovering

young.

Surtr was barely formed, and by extension Muspell was still solidifying. Other lands were similarly still turbulent as they slowly settled. And Odin had his own hands full with his business. So when Bergelmir, upon being old enough to actually understand, saw the state of his kin, the mountains they find their homes a mess from floods and flames and winds and more, he knew he had to do something. And that something was learn. With him easily being able to travel by making anything his "

vessel

boat

" and his size not scaring most other life, Bergelmir learned and learned until he felt he learned enough to return to his kin, beat a whole bunch of them up to get them to listen to him, and then tell the listening bergrisi what to do.

Slowly but surely, things stabilized like the earth of the mountains they lived on, and Bergelmir was lucky enough to have fallen in love with a fellow bergrisi and she loved him in return. So when it was all said and done, with his power and wisdom, Bergelmir was made the King of the Mountain Giants, and his love his queen. From there, he...relaxed. Oh sure, he still ruled and solved disputes as a king should, but with giants being how they were, he didn't need to do much most of the time. He didn't have any quarrel with humans or the gods of the Norse pantheon, and while the bergrisar followed him, he didn't need to always keep an eye on their affairs beyond making sure they didn't actually bother othersm So the times he did deal with disputes were just the usual problems jotuns of any kind tended to cause when they happen to encounter humans or gods because they didn't listen to his advice on actually getting along in order to have the least amount of headaches. And with his disposition tending towards lounging when there aren't any major problems, that meant the only other problem he would deal with regularly were the occasional challengers to his throne. Otherwise, he barely made much of a note through the rest of his life.

But considering how the lives of most Norse mythology figures go, a peaceful life is a feat in and of itself, especially for a jotun and a king such as himself.

So of course, when he just happened to be summoned in the vacation city of the supernatural, Serendell, he made a beeline for the most relaxing spot that still provided some work for his skills and such to prevent any boredom he might get: being a boat ride in the lake outside the city.

As such, it's no surprise his personality reflects his history. Naturally disposed to laziness, he initially comes off as the kind of person who others think would say to anything, "Uh huh. Yeah. And? Is that all?" And that isn't a completely wrong assessment. He does say that often to a lot of things he deals with. From arguments to casual destruction to an insult or several, he takes them with such stride and casual, lackadaisal speed that it comes off as if he doesn't care. And on some level, he doesn't, but that isn't completely right either. At his core, he is indeed lazy, but that laziness comes more from his experience after going around to learn as much as he could for his goals, than a proper aversion to work. Because he will put in the work to do what he thinks needs to be done. He wouldn't have become a king otherwise. But with that knowledge, he knows that there are ways to take it easy without cutting corners. And he also knows when something is truly serious, whether specifically for one person or the world in general, he will treat it with the same care and attention as he gave for his wife, his children, and his kin: using all his knowledge to help them, whether by solving the problem...or keeping them relaxed and comforted despite it.

In short, he's a chill and seemingly lazy dude...only because he's a suprisingly wise, and sometimes cunning, man, who is a firm believer in the adage of "work smarter, not harder", and so he will absolutely chill whenever he can. But when he can't, he's about as diligent as one can get, using his knowledge in both wise and cunning ways.

Wish: "I want a nap. ...yes, that was a joke. What? I can't tell a joke? ...haha, yes yes, I'm stalling again. ...but surely you can guess by now, yes? What my wish would be? Nothing. Because anything I wish for is useless on a Holy Grail. I'd rather you use it for something, or someone, else other than me. I can figure it out myself. So don't worry, okay?"

Relationships

Child Servants that are in fact adults "forced" into child forms (like Hans and Beethoven): "No, sorry, I'm actually naturally like this. So I'm not part of their club, or a proper Child Servant. I will admit I am a bit surprised though, considering many jotun thought I was just a baby jotun or something because of my size. There's a reason some of your surviving texts described me as an infant. I looked like one in the eyes of my kin."

Cu Chulainn (Caster): "Hmm? Well well, I see you're still up to your usual

tricks

plans,

Long Beard. Oh, don't mind me, Child of Light. Just having a bit of fun, is all."

Scathatch-Skadi: "Ah, if it isn't the little skiing jotun. Well, not exactly her, but it is still her. I enjoy her company, not just as a fellow jotun, but because of who she is. So... It's selfish of me, but I still wanna say that I wish the me from your Lostbelt survived. Even if what I could actually do was small...it's always good to have more friends with you."

Valkyrie: "The remains of Ymir made into the sentinels of Odin. Or at least, using her as a basis for their 'chasis', as you'd put it. It's interesting to see what can be made of the remnants of someone, or something, else. I'd like to consider them kin, but I'm not sure they think the same."

Brynhildr: "Long Beard's daughter. Or rather, one of them. The 'perfect valkyrie', as her shield sisters put it. Me? Honestly, I just want to give her a big, big hug. Cursed to forever hurt her love... How could I not give her one?"

Surtr: "Ah yes, 'Uncle'. Okay, more like relative, really, so I should really call him 'kin' or 'grandkid' or something. But we did inherit a 'part' of Ymir, but I got mine through my father while he got it directly. So, 'Uncle'. Haha, besides, there aren't many others I can call uncle anyway...and it'd be funny. So I'm not ignoring my excuse to call him that."

Loki=Rod (DracoScribe) "If it isn't my fellow dwarf jotun. Haha, yes, you're half jotun, so I say it still counts! May I lounge before one of your hearths? You always keep them at just the right temperature."

Ymir (Justiciar Hux): "Oh hey 'Grandmother'. I would offer to help find activities you'd find interesting, but well... I don't know your tastes quite yet, so that will take a while. So I hope you can hold off on the destroying things until I'm ready, yes?"

Laevateinn (Vididii) "Oh! It's Surtr's little princess! Haha! Do you remember me, princess? Ah, whatever, even if you don't, I wouldn't mind losing a good nap from playing with you. I miss you, you know. I wish I came more often but well...you know how I am. Can't help but want to lounge around instead of move around. So let's make up for lost time."

Thor: "As a King of Giants, I know I shouldn't like him, but just myself...honestly never minded him doing that. Any giant who messes with things, or rather makes a huge mess by hurting others, is very likely to be stupid and got their just desserts. Because if thet were actually smart, they wouldn't try to antagonize others, like say, by killing humans, making such an obvious fuss that was practcially asking for a killing."

Thrud (DelRey): "Ah, the little smith. Please, hold your weapons. I just want to talk with you. Haha, yes, this giant wishes to speak with the giant slayer's child. Why? Hmm. Call it a father's hunch, but I feel like having a chat might be good. Certainly a better option than Loki in his hearthkeeping aspect, yes? I doubt you would ignore his other deeds despite how genuine he is when it comes to family."

Thrud (Kamera): "Huh? I thought I just... Ah. Right. The whole alternate versions thing. Well, the offer stands, but I have a feeling you don't need it. Although... Are you sure you didn't spend any time with Loki...? I swear, you act more like his kid than Thor's or Sif's."

Magni (Kamera): "Oh, it's my kin. Oh the irony of the giant slayer laying with a giant... But ahem. Anyways. Hellooooo. Woah, hey! I'm not here for a fight. I'd rather just take a seat and talk to you. Why? Well, it's because you're half-jotun. Of course I'm curious about you. It isn't often mixed bloods have your level of self-confidence. As writers might put it, such a circumstance is ripe for 'angst'."

Modi (Kamera): "...Jormangandr's heart, huh? Ha...you kids and taking ironic risks... I'm tempted to make song about your idiocy just to get it through your skull that's as thick as your dad's. There's little point in gaining power if you lose yourself along the way. ...but well, I know that will be a fool's errand for me. So all I'm going to say is this: keep quiet about that heart business. If Loki is here, Sigyn is never far behind. You can probably handle them getting pissed at you...but it's going to be a giant headache for everyone when they find out. Including me. So please be discrete."

Sir Jack (Vididii): "Oh hey, Jack. Ha...man...I wish we could actually talk... ...look, I know you wanna kill me, and nothing is going to convince you otherwise, especially with a full blooded giant like me. So... I'm pulling a Road Runner and scramming! Meep meep!"

Summer Twinkle Star (DelRey): "Haha. A child through and through. Unlike me. I am actually an adult that looks young in your eyes because of being a dwarf. I'll admit his 'Moe Fan Club' is another factor in picking the lake. They cannot help themselves with 'moe' things, I would rather not have any of the kind of affection they give without my consent, which they will do, and no one likes disturbances caused by crazy fans, so I'm saving everyone the trouble, especially me, on the off chance I'm 'moe' enough for them."

Summer Athena (DelRey): "Snrk. Gatekeeper... Of course she is. Did you know? She's the reason why the nudist beach section is here in the mountains instead of the beach by the sea. I think that was a pretty smart move, as expected of a Goddess of Wisdom. Yes, it was mostly motivated by her wish for decency...but! If it's in the mountains, that means only the most dedicated of perverts would come all the way up here to view nude people. And so that means we know to place a very good guard around the nudist beach. Yes yes, I know there are always outliers, but the logic is still sound, no? I'll certainly do my share in helping. After all, no one expects a well aimed boat crash on the shore while in the middle of a peaceful lake."

Noah: "Ah, a fellow great flood survivor. Hey, I wonder if that Upnapishtim fellow is here... We could make some sort of club. For fun...and for comfort, for the survivors who didn't take it as well as us."

L. Ron Hubbard (Dreamerless): "Mind over matter, huh? And for real. I think you could be a little smarter about how you spread your religion, I mean there are some very obvious 'cracks' you put up with how you act alone, how much for your religion? But I'll give you credit for that. Takes a lot to actually be successful in that."

Bond Craft Essence

One Exception, Non-Negotiable

Remember what I said about how I always try to find a way to 'take it easy without cutting corners'?
Well, there's an exception to that.

Love.

Pessimists and cynics and the like have reason to think love is hogwash for a reason.
It's hard. If you want to make it work, it's hard. If you actually put the effort into it, you quickly realize you need to do more than you thought you had to at points.
There's no 'quick way out', no 'secret technique' or 'life hack'. Not really. There's just fundamentals in communication, two—or more—beings, and, most importantly, the will to stick to it and work with, despite, and around each other.
So yes, there's plenty of things I will do my damn hardest to figure out the easy, 'lazy', way to do it.
But not being with someone I love. Familial, platonic, and romantic.
So if there's only one advice I'd have to give you: love can feel easy, but don't be lazy when it comes to love.

It stops being love when it is.

Author's Commentary

DracoScribe's

im back on my norse shit again
blame dreamerless for enabling me

Okay, but seriously, making a sheet for Bergelmir was his idea, and I just latched onto it and my creative juices went brrrrrr...after we settled on ideas and who did what. If it wasn't obvious by now(?), I found the FC, did the intro, the initial stats, the description, the flavor quotes for the technical aspects, and relationship sections, while Dreamerless did everything else, (minus the NP name as he couldn't come up with one before the deadline and he had to go so I had to do it instead) while also giving each other feedback for the other's work. The format is Dreamerless's at my suggestion, since it made it easy for us to write our respective parts. Oh, and at his prompting, I also included a Bond CE.

As for the sheet itself...

If it wasn't obvious, I drew inspiration from Justiciar's Ymir sheet and used that as an excuse why Bergelmir is called Ymir's grandson while not actually being related since, well, if we go with the assumption that Ymir is Velber 02/Sephyr, then I go "what the hell is the timeline on that???" so I basically didn't bother saying if Ymir made the jotnar or not and if so, when. ...also I know jack squat on Sephyr lore beyond LB5 mentions so I was also keeping the specifics vague... I'll admit those aspects I'm nervous about since, y'know, they're lore bits I don't have much experience on, so I worry I wrote them terribly. >_> But anyways...

The FC was because of feedback from Dreamerless on what kind of look we could go for and then me latching onto it and finding the FC, which I would have only considered thanks to DelRey's FC gallery blog, so once again, thanks to him for that! Oh and the fact he looks young/like a kid is referencing to the fact that sometimes Bergelmir is referred to as an infant yet in another he gets on his "boat" with his wife. As for personality, I thought of it when one of (the two) attestations of Bergelmir described him as "wise". Why the laziness though? Eh...I'm not entirely sure. It's just that, for some reason, out of all the traits that could derive from the guy's wisdom, I picked "laziness"/"sleepiness" (which was what drove me to pick the FC). If I had to guess though, I suspect it's the Sans from Undertale influence. Lastly, Bergelmir is a mountain giant...mostly because of his name. I could've gone with a frost giant but really the biggest reason why I didn't is just me going "nah. I want a mountain giant this time. Besides we see lots of frost and fire giants, even if it's just mooks".

More trivia related stuff ...Thrudgelmir is described as "big as six mountains" because one of Ymir's kids has six heads but, as far as I can tell, there is nothing confirming Thrudgelmir is that six headed jotun, but nothing that disproves it either. Bergelmir calling Odin "Long Beard" is actually because I was looking at various Odin epithets...and one of them was "

Long Beard

Langbarðr

"/was "

Long Beard

Síðskeggr

"/"

Long Beard

Síðgrani

" and thought "yup. Bergelmir would totally call him that...and Loki for that matter". I imagine he'd be 4'5''/135cm tall, because why not. Feels like a the right height I wanna go for.

Aaand...I think that's it!

I hope you enjoyed reading this sheet as much as I had collaborating on it with Dreamerless. It was fun working with him!

Dreamerless's

So, Bergelmir. This sheet actually came into being from an accident, as while suggesting random ideas to Draco, I thought that Bergelmir was Loki’s brother. It turned out that this was not the case, but the sheet worked out well. The idea of having Bergelmir look like a kid and have a Lancelot phantasm for boats were mine and thankfully I was able to put off work and procrastination to finish this in time (Draco was amazing and finished up super fast. Love you Draco!). But yeah, that’s Bergelmir.

[Spelror]

i've recently read Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear and am glad to be back at my bullshit again

[DelRey]

I will expand the submission time because there werent that many entries yet and I guess people need more time, too. I consider the end of the month

[BnEl15]

Trigger/Story Spoiler Warning

Story starts with some very light suicidal ideation, but it is very brief.

Also includes vague references to LB7 but nothing overtly spoiler territory.

The full moon hung low, reflecting the gentle waves that crashed against the shore.

Ritsuka had heard that this was a sad place, where those who could no longer deal with the pain of life would go, being consumed by their pain and the water below. A simple, and fairly easy way out when one saw no reason to keep going. And, another sleepless night, they decided to make a journey to this sad place.

And honestly, they saw why this place claimed so many. There was a whirlpool, or a cave, they didn't remember which, but it dragged people under the surface fast and hard, and most people couldn't easily survive it.

"Am I the exception, or the one who proves it?"

Only the waves answered, beckoning to come and find out.

Their thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice from behind.

"What the frick are you doing all the way out here! It's cold as heck!"

Ritsuka whipped their head back, the voice sounded like the reclusive Kafka but-

"What the hell?"

<~>

Letter One: Thick and Thin

“Please do not mourn me, I have gone on a trip to see the world. I will write you of my adventures.”

XKafka bristled, his plush face contorting as much as it could physically move to even scowl. "Yeah whatever, I don't know why I'm like this, a bunch of malarkey because I can't even swear either." He growled as waddled over with exaggerated steps, before he reached behind him and pulled a letter out of thin air. "Kafka Delivery Service! I guess?"

Ritsuka took the paper, a wax seal with the logo of Chaldea keeping it closed. "Who's this from?"

Kafka rolled his eyes. "Dunno, maybe you should try opening it Einstein."

The Last Master sighed, but did open the letter.

~

"Fujimaru,"

"So, not really sure how to start this, or even how to talk to you honestly. Which is weird, but then again my whole life has been weird since-you know what I’ll just stop rambling and taking up space in this letter."

"If I am allowed to be honest, on both my own behalf and the behalf of every staff member of Chaldea, thank you. Thank you for working so hard to save humanity every day, thank you for saving the Chaldean staff members, thank you for just being, well, our hero."

Fujimaru could feel it, that sense of pride and love, practically leaching from the paper and ink into their mind. But they also soon felt, dread, and fear.

"When we were in the Shadow Border after NFF attacked Chaldea, I remember just how panicked Goredolf was when Holmes said that humanity was destroyed. I had thought that after we beat Goetia that everything would just, go back to normal? Wishful thinking, but I honestly thought we’d be leaving as heroes.

The isolation, yeah they remembered that. That week in the Shadow Border felt like days, just staring at the wall. Holmes and Da Vinci kept everyone together, prevented the fear and panic from setting in even when everyone in the vehicle knew that everything was lost, again.

But the fact that through that, you kept pushing, you kept fighting. That you led us to correct the Lostbelts, undo all the damage the Crypters had done. You saved my life, and I am proud to say
that I look forward to supporting you again.

Take care of yourself,

Meuniere, and the rest of the staff wanted in too!"

~

They blinked, trying to rub the warmth out of their cheeks and tears from their eyes, looking at Kafka with mirth.

"So you turned into a doll, and became a mailman? Or maybe a mailtoy actually."

Kafka walked over and, maybe playfully maybe seriously, began swatting at their leg with a growl, his soft hands barely. "Hey! Just because I'm all soft and plush doesn't mean I still won't kick your butt for that!"

Ritsuka laughed, holding up their hands in surrender. "Alright! Alright, you win and I'm sorry haha!" They folded the letter back in the envelope, standing up on the pier. "So, just come all this way out to deliver that?"

Kafka shook his head. "Nope, we're going on a walk throughout town, I forgot the two other letters and your long legs will be useful." He pointed one of his little fingers.

"A great adventure on an beachside paradise, let's get moving!"

<~>

Letter Two: From Russia, with Bile

“My travels have changed me… “

The lighthouse loomed overhead, Ritsuka staring as the light swiveled and spun. Kafka grumbled from their shoulder about how "It's so humiliating being carried like this" but he quieted down as they got closer.

"Alright, we're still letter hunting then, did you leave it nearby?"

Kafka shook his head as he motioned to be let down. "No, inside."

"Sure the owner won't mind?"

Kafka hopped up to the door, pulling out a massive key from his coat. "I'm pretty sure I'm alright letting you in."

He held his arm to put it in the lock, but just banged the bottom of the door. "Son of a biscuit, Ritsuka! I have need of your height, again."

With a laugh, they lifted Kafka up, and he slid the key into the lock.

"Thank you."

Kafka trotted inside after smoothing his coat.

Ritsuka stepped past the mantle, closing the door to see a massive amount of deadbolts, chain locks, and swing bar locks. Ritsuka whistled. "Bit excessive."

Kafka clicked his tongue. "When certain people I regretfully work with are capable of throwing a building into high orbit, a bit more protection is of great benefit."
He declared moving over to a cracked door on the other end of a narrow hallway, passing two parallel doors. "Keep your hands to yourself, and I shall return with the next letter in just a moment!"

Leaving his Master in the entryway, with a study to the right and a kitchen/dining area to the left. Naturally curious, they looked within the study, finding it to be a mess. Papers splayed over a coffee table were covered in empty soda cans and stains, and the desk (which had a cute little stepladder leading up to the chair that was raised up high) was in a similar mess.

Absentmindedly, they began cleaning up. Cans were organized, no trash can in here as far as they could tell, and most of the papers were written in German prose, which Ritsuka couldn't read, but nonetheless tried to organize into stacks.

"A man who is lonely by choice, fearing the world and running from a sin even he does not know."

It was an odd thought, but as they organized and stacked, it felt like they had started to figure out Kafka. At least in some form, he was a person who feared his own humanity, and felt isolated his whole life, and could only elaborate that isolation through writing, putting his pain on paper.

Every world he built was that of absurdity, where laws were unfair, where suffering was common, and the protagonist was always alone to face it. So why was Kafka a doll now? Some weird manipulation of The Metamorphosis, but how does one get a plush doll out of an insect?

The door moved, if barely, with Kafka in the doorframe, his little foot extended while his head steamed.

"You intrude upon my sanctum! HOW DARE-oh, thanks for cleaning, I guess." He snapped, holding out his second letter.

His Master took it, but a thought came to mind first.

"Kafka, why did you turn into a doll?"

Said doll rolled his eyes and huffed. "I helped a little girl with her doll and I turned into this thing because of, I don't know, some whims of the summoning system."

Ritsuka crossed their arms.

"Okay, so maybe I failed to find a girl's doll. I fibbed that her doll was traveling the world, and we met in the park once a week. I wrote letters from her doll, saying it was going to Mt. Everest and the Pyramids of Giza or whatever."

"I bought a new doll for her, went on a limb her doll was of a type in a local toy store, but it wasn't. So I lied again and said it was because it had changed from it's journey or whatever. Nothing too big so I don't know why it made me into the dang doll. I did it for no real reason." He shrugged it off, way too casually.

Ritsuka wanted to facepalm so hard their hand would go through the other side of their skull. "You met with a girl for weeks, telling a huge story of her toy doll exploring the world, and then made her take a new doll with the belief it had gone that beautiful adventure and returned looking different because of it?"

"Well, uh-"

"The biggest nihilist I've ever met, and you spent weeks comforting a random little girl who lost her doll, for no reason."

Kafka sputtered, his face tomato red as he handed the letter out which Ritsuka took and opened, muttering under his breath.

"She had to keep hope..."

~

"Ritsuka,"

"You’ve been through, I can’t whistle in text so just imagine it, a lot of crap ain’t ya. Still befriending your enemies and kissing babies or whatever heroes do?"

"Honestly, even after taking bullets for you, I still just felt, jealous? Maybe not the right word but like, after meeting you I just thought “How the hell can someone be so smiley, it’s annoying that they can’t deal with what’s in front of ‘em.”

Ritsuka, like before could feel it, the raw frustration. The indignation of someone remaining hopeful in the face of the worst things that happened, that kept happening. It was sickening, that someone like that could survive, stand up in the face of everything. It vindicated, fed all the thoughts that led them to the pier that night.

But-

"I got it wrong, figures, because you were. I just didn’t know how you were doing it. You saw the devastation, you heard of how horrible things were, yet you just kept going. Head high, smiling through the tears."

"You got it right, in a way I couldn’t, because I didn’t know what the world could be. The idea of a place warm, without fear of the Oprichniki killing you for no damn reason, or the rebels selling everyone you loved out. I was mad that my mom couldn’t see that world anymore than I could."

"I had the bad hand, and no matter how I played it, I wouldn’t win. But, as much as I hated you, I knew I could lay those cards out and you’d win."

The hatred molded into respect, more than that. A tempest of facing fear, facing death, and choosing that end regardless.
A whirlwind, a drive, a raw force that pushed them forward, even in the face of the unavoidable.

"Because that’s who you are, you smiling asshole, a winner."

"Patxi"

~

Ritsuka found their knees weakening, as they fell onto the couch, making sure they read it right. "He, He really-" They felt tears burn, sliding downwards, muffling gasps with their hand.

A small plush cuddled to their side, and they vaguely heard Kafka whisper.

"Not a word."

He climbed up their sleeve, hugged their neck and rested against their face. "We will continue the search in the morning, rest please, Master."

They slept like a baby.

<~>

Letter Three: Lost, and Found

“Everything that you love, you will eventually lose, but in the end, love will return in a different form.”

Ritsuka was, feeling a lot better now, and in a weird way, felt like they better understood Kafka, someone looking for-

"And here we are!" Kafka declared with his arms spread, standing at the entrance to Nav Park. People talked at the benches, a few families walking down to the zoo, others to the market. The smell of grain in the distance, the slight bite of lingering salt in the air carried from the ocean, refreshing.

Ritsuka looked around for Kafka, but found him missing.

"Over here, Ritsuka."

Kafka had been found by a group of kids, and while his tone sounded like he wished to be dead, he wasn't particularly resisting all that hard from the group crowding him.

His Master laughed into their fist. "You need any help there Kafka?"

He sighed in a exaggerated fashion. "I suppose these children want entertainment, persistent ones," He grumbled as some kids nodded, while others looked confused by a word they never heard before. "Ah to heck with it, fine then!" He turned the group, ages ranging from five to maybe nine as the oldest. "Come, follow me and I shall impart the truth of the world!" He hopped off his stand, beginning a sort of mock march with the group of kids giggling and imitating his walk.

Ritsuka and a couple more adults watched, some clapping Kafka on. He looked at Ritsuka and pointed towards a fountain a bit out of the way, but a really nice one nonetheless.

~


Ritsuka walked up the fountain, and sat for a moment.

The spring bubbled, the distant sounds of conversation and laugher on the breeze.

A breath they had been holding for years, escaped their chest. They looked at the cloudless blue sky, the stars long since dissapeared under the sun's rays. But they were still there, hiding. Or maybe not hiding, but just requiring a different point of view to see it.

As a kid, they sometimes would look up the sky, seeing the sky dotted by little dots. Sometimes, they looked so close they imagined touching them, grasping them in their fingertips.

No one, no one person could take the stars in their hands, and with all the incredibly powerful beings they had met, and stared down, they had known them to be powerful, but the stars, they remained forever out of reach to even the most veritable of gods.

After closing their eyes, letting the thought of doing something that impossible, they adjusted their hand, and touched an envelope.

The Chaldea seal, the same paper as before.

For a moment, they wondered if they should open it at all. Who else had Kafka found and somehow gotten a letter out of?

Did they even want to know?

Should they even know?

With trepidation, they opened it, unfolding the letter within.

~
Heya Ritsuka!

Been a few years right? Summon a lot more Servants, save the day a couple more times? Probably a couple dozen by this point. God I wish I was able to be back there, offering my advice, telling you what little history I knew. Strangely enough I really miss Da Vinci’s ribbing, I knew you’d giggle whenever she made fun of me.

Choices, you’ve made a few hard ones right? Good or bad, you made them. Maybe you got hurt, maybe others did, and I know you probably hold onto that guilt of making the choices.

I didn’t erase myself from history easily, but I knew I had to do the right thing, even if I hurt the people I loved. I said it then, and I’ll repeat it now.

You taught me that, to do the right thing even if it hurts. Ha! The King of Wisdom, and something so simple had never occurred to me until I became human again, until I saw you do that, over and over again. We saved the day, you saved the day.

Thank you Ritsuka Fujimaru, for teaching me the most important lesson the Heroic Spirit Solomon, and the man Romani Archaman ever learned. I can only hope you remember it too.

Sincerely, my congratulations, my soul,

Dr. Romani Archaman
~

They stared at it for a good minute, reading the words half a dozen times over and over again, when Kafka trotted up to them, clambering to rest on the fountain next to them.

"I saved the most important person for last, at least the person I thought you would find most important."

Ritsuka looked at Kafka.

"You wrote all three letters."

He nodded. "Yes, I did. As I am now, I felt your pain. The guilt, all those messed up feelings eating you alive."

He continued. "I happen to be an expert in self-loathing, so while in life I struggled with it, like this-" He stared at his plush hand. "I know how to help."

Ritsuka leaned over. "Did you ever meet that girl?"

Kafka waved his hand in a dismissive motion. "Does it matter? my Spirit Graph considers it real, therefore it is as far as my body cares. Eye of the beholder and all that?'

He looked at the letter, pulling out the other two and handing them over. "You're pretty close now, just gotta do one more thing."

"And then?"

"You can leave, free yourself from all your responsibilities, your suffering. A free trip to wherever you want to go, whenever you want to go."

That sounded good, and the thought sounded, honestly like a dream come true.

But, if they left.

"Thanks, Kafka. But, I think I can stay around for now."

Kafka smiled, before quickly dropping his face to a frown. "Ah, of course. Can never be selfish, can you Master." He blew a raspberry, and as he moved to walk away, Ritsuka got an idea, and an evil grin.

"After all Kafka, who would be there to give you..." Their hands outstretched, and Kafka could only turn, his eyes shrinking in horror.

"Give you big old hugs!" They scooped the author up, cuddling into a deep hug as he screeched in indignation.

"UNHAND ME YOU FREAKING PSYCHO! GOSH DANG IT, FREE ME FROM YOUR ARMS!' He slammed his fists ineffectively against their arm.

"THIS IS IT, MY LAST STRAW. I'M GOING TO FIX THIS, NOW! I'LL WALK UP TO SCÁTHACH AND HAVE HER FIX MY FORM THE SECOND YOU LET ME GO!"

"Oh? Guess I just have to hold onto you forever!"

"BY THE ABSENCE OF GOD RELEASE ME! RELEASE MEEEEE!!!"

~



<~>

Epilogue: One Last Tale

Kafka spent more than a few minutes correcting his coat, grumbling all the while.

"Stupid, crazy Master, how dare they! I am an author, a GOOD author, not a toy to play with!"

As he straightened himself out, he heard a few sets of footsteps come from behind, and he turned around with a grimace.

Three more kids had found him, and he sighed.

"All right, follow my lead small ones, and I shall tell you a lesson to stay for a lifetime."

~> <FIN> <~

-- Sheet: Watcher of Steglitz Park --Watcher of Steglitz Park
-- Travel Changes Us --

"Yup, you heard it right. I'm the one and only Franz Kafka; nihilist, cynic, novelist, and master of psychological and existential horrors. As you can see, I have found myself under... quite the predicament, to say the least. Seriously, call it a summer miracle or whatever, but I didn't think I could even qualify for this Class, much less under this form. Oh well, I don't have it in me to refuse. After all, I believe this might be part of that promise I made at the park back then. Now then, Master. I want you to forget all about my usual titles. For now, I am just your... *pained expression, as though trying his hardest to not freak out over his current predicament* friendly Mr. Postman. Y-Yeah, that's all I am right now!"

[~ ♬ ~]


Source

Parameters:

STR: -
END: -
AGI: -
MGI: -
LCK: -
NP: E+

Likes: Travelling, writing letters, taking strolls at public parks
Dislikes: Children (or so he says), his present form (supposedly)
Talent: Writing, storytelling, processing loss
Natural Enemy: -
Armament: -
Catalyst: Letters written by someone dear to you

Class Skills

Watcher (B)



A Class Skill belonging to the Watcher-Class. It represents being (in theory) an observer generally to the current conflict and specifically for the Master, rather than an active participant. While Watcher does possess a physical body, his current form is ill-suited for any form of direct intervention. At present, he is nothing more than a cute mascot accompanying the Master on their own journey.

"To appoint me as a guide... It's a mistake, I tell you. And to summon me in this form? An even bigger mistake! I swear, what were you thinking!? Aah, I want to curl up in a hole somewhere until this event ends... or so I'd like to say, but to tell you the truth... I can't. I mean, you've summoned me for a reason, right? And I did humor that girl at the park, for whatever reason, so it's not like I'm automatically predisposed to running away from my problems. Still, with that said, can we get this over with as soon as possible? I'd hate for my 'cute mascot' title to stick around after all of this concludes. It's a disgrace to my established character! Character assassination, I say! A monster like me is the furthest thing away from 'cute'!"

Territory Infringement (EX)



The ability to slip past all manner of security, be it mundane or supernatural in nature. Bypassing wards, barriers, alarms and more, an ideal Skill for infiltrator-type Servants. Supposedly, Watcher specializes in delivering letters, from one end of the world to another. Distance, terrain, and national borders mean little to him. Similarly, self-discovery is a journey with no singular path. When one path is blocked, another will surely open.

"Yup, I'm just your... friendly neighborhood Mr. Postman! Or at least, that's the role I'm supposed to play right now. Hmph, I don't mind. At least for the duration of this summoning, I'll take my job seriously. I don't know if this particular Class has got me feeling a little bit more sentimental or what, but I will see to it that no letter remains undelivered by my hands, come rain or storm. Neither time or distance is a concern for me, and I guarantee that whatever it is you write, you will get a reply back! So, what do you say to entrusting your letters to me?"
...
"You... don't have anyone to send letters to? Or you're not sure what to write to begin with? Well, that's okay too. I find that inspiration tends to hit me when I'm not actively looking for it, maybe it's the same for you. Just... promise me you'll let it out if it ever feels too much? It's not good to keep things bottled up forever. You can just write whatever comes to mind, or scribble some chaotic mess on the paper, but I find that bad feelings don't go away if you keep running away from them. Sometimes, you just have to face them head-on, really feel them, you get what I'm saying? And writing is just one way to facilitate that."

Magic Resistance (D)



Grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. A modern Servant with no connection to magecraft, Watcher would supposedly have this Skill capped at E-rank. However, this Class represents a more... "child-friendly" side of him, and being "child-friendly" means not completely denying the existence of magecraft and the fantastical. It is through this justification that the Skill's rank is slightly elevated.

"Magic... for a depressed, cynical adult like me, that just feels like a go-to word for anything that can't be explained through good ol' science. With that definition, no wonder so many kids believe in magic. For them, the sight of a rainbow after a heavy rain, snow falling on a cold winter morning, or even that one party trick of severing your thumb... those are all magic in their eyes. It's not a bad thing, though. Some people never outgrew that sense of wonder from when they were kids, and to be honest, I'm kind of jealous of them sometimes. Still, the way they kept that 'magic' alive even as life tried to get them down again and again... I can't help but want to root for them, you know?"
...
"Eh? Wait, no... what did I just say? I... this Spirit Origin's curse must be even more powerful than I realize. I would never say such things otherwise. AAAHH, WHAT KIND OF MONSTROSITY HAVE I BECOME!? WHAT ARE THESE FUZZY FEELINGS IN MY CHEST!?"

Independent Navigation (Self-Proclaimed) (C)



A Skill somewhat comparable to Independent Action, allowing Watcher to generate mana for himself periodically... or something like that. Normally this is a Voyager Class Skill, but as a doll who had traveled the world in the span of three weeks and documented these travels via letters, it's not surprising for him to possess this Skill to a certain extent, right? At least, that is the "child-friendly" explanation. Of course, the doll never actually traveled anywhere, and the letters were simply born of Watcher's own creative mind as an author. Nonetheless, through this little anecdote that made his manifestation under this Class possible, Watcher taught an important lesson. Life is a journey of self-discovery filled with loss. Even so, it is through these losses that we change and mature, eventually finding a beautiful conclusion at the end of it all. Thus, this Skill is not a representation of Watcher's capacity for traveling. Rather, it is a representation of his status as a "companion" who walks beside his Master, helping him along the way in pursuit of that conclusion. Aside from periodically generating a small amount of magical energy for the Master, this Skill also allows Watcher to exude a calming presence, stabilizing the Master's mental state in times of distress.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I actually did get around back then! I saw the Eiffel Tower, the Niagara Falls, and the Great Wall of China, among other places! What were they like? Um... well, that's not really important! This is your journey, after all, not mine. If you're so curious, why don't you go there yourself if you ever get the chance? For now, the only thing you need to know is that I definitely went to those places and they were all very, uh... breathtaking, yeah!"

Personal Skills

Innocent Monster (B)



An attribute possessed by Servants whose true history and existence have been distorted by the monstrous reputations and gossips they accrued across the course of their life and thereafter, without concern for the actual person's will or appearance. As a consequence, the Servant's abilities and appearance have been rendered to conform to the specifications of their legend.

Before you stands Franz Kafka, a troubled author who frequently wrote of existential isolation, social alienation, anxiety, and psychological horror. He was a man who understood humanity, but could never see himself as part of them. A man riddled with contradictions. A man who never could find the answer to what it means to be human. It would be unthinkable for such an individual to manifest under this form... were it not for a single act of kindness. It was something he did on a whim, and even now, he remains unsure if there was ever any deeper reason for his actions on that day. Whatever the case, he struck up a friendship with a little girl he came across on the park one day, and one thing led to another. The end result is, well... he has manifested in a form resembling an adorable plush toy. His psyche is roughly a 70-30 split between the toy and his original personality. He retains a portion of his more existentialist, occasionally nihilistic outlook on life, but overall, his personality has been heavily influenced by the story of the Traveling Doll. Watcher is not entirely happy about this, feeling as though his Spirit Origin has been cursed with a "G for General Audiences" filter, but he has gradually learned to embrace this different aspect of himself.

"​This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but my current form has burdened me with a... let's say 'automatic profanity filter'. Yeah, I think that's the best way to describe it. Watch this... firetruck! Ship! Fuuuuudge! See? For child-safety reasons, I can't make any explicit references to 'bad words', intoxicating drinks, and 18+ activity. I swear, my life was bad enough, but it looks like the Throne decided to keep me inside this personal heck of mine. Aah, a glass of grape juice would be nice right about now..."
...
"Um, actually... don't tell anyone about this, but I found a loophole just the other day. The filter doesn't register German, so technically, I'm free to swear so long as it's in German. Unfortunately... I'd feel bad. Really bad. Yeah, that's it. I tried it, and it felt like generations of German parents and children were judging me with disappointed looks on their faces. I guess that's just how it is!"

New Friends, Old Friends (A+)



A variation of Human Observation and Proof of Friendship. Initially, this simply represents Watcher's ability to glean a deeper insight into the characters of people around him. However, upon actually befriending another person, a secondary effect activates, allowing both parties to obtain a mutual understanding of each other's pasts. In just a few days' time, they will feel as though this friendship had lasted for an entire lifetime. Years of doubts and misunderstandings will be brushed aside so that friendship can blossom. Outwardly, some might say that Watcher has that certain quality that makes it easier for others to trust and rely on him. Such was the nature of Watcher's friendship with the nameless girl. Despite only being in her life for a mere three weeks, their friendship was most certainly genuine.

Incidentally, this Skill is slightly more effective on children. They tend to flock around Watcher for some reason, possibly due to his current appearance, but it's best not to point this out to him.
"Friendship? Can't say I fully understand the word even now, but if that girl taught me anything, it's that time is far from the only thing that matters when it comes to making friends. You could spend decades living with another person and feel like strangers, or you could feel like you've perfectly known each other inside out despite spending just several weeks together. There are all kinds of friendship, and there isn't a single, specific manual you have to follow in that department. So I don't think one path is inherently better than another when it comes to that sort of thing."
...
"Eh? I say some pretty profound things sometimes? W-Well, of course! Hmph, who do you take me for!? Despite looking like this, my talents in observing humanity remains unchallenged!"

Doll's Journey (A)



A testament to Watcher's talents as an author, unchanged even in this diminutive form. In the letters written by the "doll", Watcher vividly described scenes of foreign countries, far-off lands, and natural wonders. It's unclear whether the scenes described here were influenced by Watcher's own traveling experiences, ideas he picked up from other media, or if they came wholly from his own imagination, but it's clear that he excelled in crafting entire landscapes and effectively conveying them within the constraints of several short paragraphs. A variation of Storytelling that allows Watcher to pull others into vast dreamscapes of his own making. By focusing your mind as you read his letters, or simply closing your eyes while he reads them for you, you will find yourself absorbed into the scene, akin to a limited reality marble where you can feel the gentle wind blowing on your face. There is little offensive potential to this Skill. Most of the time, Watcher uses it for therapeutic purposes, or to impose trials upon his Master.

"You know what? I've been trying my hand at writing children's book lately. I mean, the Throne's turned me into this... kid-friendly, cutesy-bunny... thing, so it can't get much worse from there, right? Well, after several attempts, I can say that writing these books are much harder than I thought. And it's not just because of these stubby fingers and borderline lack of opposable thumbs! Like with most stories, you have to keep the readers' attention engaged and their minds immersed in the world you've created, but you still have to remember your audience! Most kids would just fall asleep or wander off to who-knows-where if you get too caught up with long-winder descriptions and character studies, so I have to limit myself by using words that I'm sure they can understand. Point is... I hate it. Limiting my creativity, forcing me to follow these 'rules' and locking me out of my main expertise like this... sigh, why do I torture myself for these brats..?"
*He says, while passionately working through his self-imposed deadlines and producing... actually successful children's books. He'd never admit to feeling anything but contempt for these works, though.*

Noble Phantasm(s)

Love Will Return in a Different Form
The Travelling Doll
​
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: E+
Range: -
Max Targets:  1

The answer one reaches at the end of travel. A reminder not just of what one has lost throughout their journey, but also all that they have gained in turn, and how much they had changed. Through New Friends, Old Friends, Watcher obtains mutual understanding with his Master. With Doll's Journey, he guides them through trials both foreign and familiar, based on the Master's own character. While the lessons one could glean from these "trials" differ from one person to another, they all serve to reflect on the individual's growth; a chance to look back on the sacrifices one had made, and how far they had grown from the initial starting point of their journey. With every significant insight obtained by the Master throughout these trials, Watcher delivers to them a single letter, the true essence of this Noble Phantasm.

These letters are written in the voice of someone dear to the Master. Living or dead, residing in one world or another... distance, barriers, or even boundaries between worlds mean nothing in the face of this Noble Phantasm. Such was Watcher's promise to the nameless girl; to deliver letters from her doll, no matter what impossibility stands between them. It would be an understatement to call this mere forgeries penned by Watcher's hands. After all, the girl genuinely did believe that these letters were written by her beloved doll. Rather, through a mix of Watcher's ability to empathize with a person's darkest sorrows, his literary talents, and information gained from the Master's own stories, he is capable of getting perfectly "in-character" and replicating the hypothetical sender's personality, down to the last minute details. For a moment, it seemed as though an impossible, one-way communication via letter becomes possible. Of course, this is still fundamentally different from reviving the dead or establishing communications with the afterlife. At the end of the day, these letters are nothing more than a reflection of the Master's growth; they cannot reveal any new information, but they can echo certain sentiments that the Master already knows deep down, but were unable to confront for whatever reason, all in the language of those dearest to them. That is how these letters can appear to be so genuine and heartfelt for their readers.

After collecting several of these letters and reaching the final stages of this unorthodox "therapy session", this Noble Phantasm conjures a certain artifact; a representation of "all that the Master has lost". It's the equivalent of "returning" the doll in the aforementioned story. It could be a childhood toy, a long-lost gift from a loved one, or anything else of great sentimental value to the Master. Upon touching this object, the Master officially passes the trials and gains the power to pass on, and see the world, traveling just like the doll on a great journey.

Lore

This is a short story that took place during one hot Berlin summer in 1923. By then, Franz Kafka was a successful author. His works had earned both praises and criticism alike, and the themes he introduced in his stories gained critical acclaim in the world of 20th-century literature. And yet, despite the author's apparent success, a part of him still felt... empty. As though there is a massive rift present, alienating him not just from his audience, but from humanity as a whole. There was so many things he wished he could say, so many questions and enigmas he couldn't even begin to convey. But not knowing how to free this entire world within his mind, he had no choice but to stay silent, keeping his secrets locked tight.

One afternoon, Kafka was taking his usual stroll through Berlin's Steglitz Park- a habit he picked up whenever he found himself lacking in inspiration for his next work- when he came across a little girl crying. The girl had lost her doll, and whether it was out of the kindness of his heart, or if he was simply annoyed by the crying child, Kafka decided to help her look for the doll. The two looked for hours, but soon it was clear to the author that the two would not find the doll. Not wanting to break the girl's heart, Kafka told the girl that her doll was away on a trip, but that she should not worry, as he was actually a postman, and the doll would have sent her a letter. He promised the girl that he would meet her again the next day at the same spot, to deliver the letter.

As promised, the two met again the next day, and the kind Mr. Postman read the girl a letter addressed to her from the missing doll.

"Please do not mourn me. I have gone on a trip to see the world. I will write you of my adventures."

The girl was unsatisfied by this explanation, and Kafka, realizing a little too late that he had written himself to a corner, promised to deliver another letter to her the following day. For the next three weeks, Kafka wrote letters with the same focus he applied to his usual writings and read them to the girl at the same time, same place every day. With every letter she received, the girl found herself increasingly absorbed into the stories of her traveling doll. At the end of these three weeks, the postman arrived to her with a doll, claiming that her doll had finally returned. When the girl pointed out that this doll was obviously different from the one she lost, an expression of surprise briefly showed on the postman's face. He excused himself, and moments later, came back with a new letter, with only one sentence hastily scribbled on it:

"My travels have changed me."

That was the end of their meetings. Kafka lost his life to tuberculosis just a year later, and the girl never even knew the name of the postman who delivered all those letters to her. The girl cherished her new doll, and many years later, the now grown girl found a letter inside a previously unnoticed crevice in the doll. She took out the crumpled paper, and read the final memento gifted to her by the mysterious postman...

“Everything that you love, you will eventually lose, but in the end, love will return in a different form.”

Nobody has ever known who the girl was and what happened to the letters. Many argued whether these events ever truly happened to begin with, but at the end of the day, it was treated as nothing more than a simple story that took place near the end of the author's life. Whatever the case, it would seem that this story had gained enough popularity to be recorded in the Throne of Heroes, making Kafka's manifestation as a Watcher possible.

"Talk about a nice, feel-good story... is there any truth to this story? Well... who can say? Spending three weeks with self-imposed daily deadlines just to entertain some brat I met at the park feels rather out-of-character for me, but I won't deny I'm entirely opposed to the idea. Maybe I was bored that day, or I just had absolutely nothing better to do, who knows. You know how it is with the Throne; sometimes our memories are... flawed due to one reason or another. Things that actually happened might feel like a fleeting dream, and lies perpetuated by the masses might be recalled as clear as yesterday. Such is our burden as so-called 'Heroic Spirits' I swear, what made them think I was someone worthy of the Throne of Heroes anyway? I would hardly call myself human to begin with, much less a hero... Ah, ahem, anyway, back to the matter of whether any of this ever happened... why don't you decide for yourself, Master? Sometimes, not knowing is part of the magic... or part of the journey? I don't know, feel free to finish that quote with whichever word you consider more inspirational. It's just as I keep telling you; appointing me of all people as a 'guide' is a bad idea..."

Creators' Notes

BnEl15

Ah, summer events. There's nothing quite like it. Beaches! Tropical island resorts! Cute plushie animals! And... Guda trying to throw themselves off the pier!? Wait, what!?

Anyway, this is finally done. What initially started out as a silly shitpost quickly grew into a much more serious story in no small part thanks to Saron. I did the usual sheet stuff (Skills, NP), while he did most of the story, but he did a dang fine job for a story with a sensitive subject matter that needed to be handled carefully. While Kafka might not be the most "Summer"-y Servant out there, I think we used the overall setting well enough throughout the story. Saron, it's a real pleasure to be working with you. Also, best of luck to everyone else who's still going at their own entries! You can do this!

Ahem, in closing, um... I hope reading this story gives you the fuzzy feelings we got while writing it.

Saron

I read maybe one or two or twenty fics that talk about Guda's headspace post the Lostbelts, ESPECIALLY POST 6 AND 7, and I figured that people would (including myself) would do more lighthearted stories for the event, but Serendell can't always have happy stories.

Plus, y'know, its Franz fucking Kafka, reading his books is like a road trip through hell with how depressing they get! So the probably not true story of Kafka and the Doll left a mark on me. As in, crying, alone, in my room, type of of mark.

Anyways, I already really liked others submissions and look forward to what people can keep sending in now that

Del Rey

Our merciful master of fate

extended the time! Good luck, have fun, and stay safe out there!

[TrueMrMultiverse]

He's perfect-both the sheet and the story are wondrous Bnel.

[DelRey]

i really liked the story of the girl and the postman when I heard about it during my school days. It is a nice and tasteful way to depict the matter.
I also like how you two integrated the spaces of serendell, even the ones I expected no one would touch.
gg u 2

[Spelror]

BEAR HOWLING

(Mighty is in AS illust this time instead of the 4* illust)


Because I have skill issue out of respect for Kafka's story with the travelling doll I have decided not to make a shitpost out of it. It's not that I don't like the sheet, the sheet's very well done, I just fear his retribution in my Promotional exams.

What? Kafka won't appear because I have taken up a Chinese Literature course? Blah! Bullshit.

[DelRey]

I am contemplating what happens to this thread after our little summer experiment ends.
And I am considering to keep it open so whenever someone has a Summer idea, they can use the setup of Serendell and post it in the Eternal Summer Thread.
A BLSSU - a Beast's Lair Sheetematic Summer Universe.

[TrueMrMultiverse]

That would honestly be a good idea-means the thread would see more use.

[BnEl15]

Idk about it seeing more use outside summer (seasonal alts are rare enough in the main thread as it is), but I do have a few more ideas that might benefit from the setting, so seconded.

[Sadist Katja]

A collab between me and jishara.
Sorry for the delay, and thanks for extending the deadline.

---

Summer is the perfect time to dine out.
The pleasant weather. The seasonal menus. The extra daylight.
Summer in Serendell is no different. Unsurprisingly, Serendell is a travel destination for many during such a season.
This is a summer story of a particular client, and his fixation with a certain restaurant.
Summer is the perfect time to dine out.
The pleasant weather. The seasonal menus. The extra daylight.
Summer in Serendell is no different. Unsurprisingly, Serendell is a travel destination for many during such a season.
This is a summer story of a particular client, and his fixation with a certain restaurant.

It was a quaint ramen shop. Some would say it’s located on the breathtaking shores of Serendell, while others would add that its location is a chore. The sandy, rocky and sometimes waterlogged path to the ramen shop was the source of many complaints. Yet, it was for this reason that this client chose to pay a visit.

The rising sun painted the sky red. The restaurant hadn’t opened yet. The beach was dead silent, as the rocky shore made the location unpopular for leisure activities.
Inside the restaurant was a different scene. A group of cooks prepared different components for the many types of ramen. The owner and chef of the restaurant was energetic, despite his old age. His employees followed, working at a frantic pace. Summer had just started, and they were expecting big sales.

From the beach, a crimson figure observed them through the window. He could smell a mix of fresh seafood, and fish bone broth. It all seemed delicious. Without any money, he had to think of some way to convince the owner to let him have a free bowl. He thought long and hard, then decided to enter the restaurant.

Moments later, the waiter burst into the kitchen.

“Boss, somebody insists on talking to you!”

“Can’t you see I’m busy? Tell them to scram! We already have every ingredient we need for today!”

“I-It’s not a salesman, boss. It’s a client. Looks to be a big shot.”

The chef hastily wiped his hands and his knife, and hurried out of the kitchen.

“How can I help you-”

The chef stopped himself.

“Oh, how embarrassing, to still be carrying this knife while greeting a guest. It’s the force of habit.”

The chef placed his knife to the side. As he did, he saw a clear blue sky through the window. The glow of the scorching sun reflected off of the white sand. It was midday.

“How time flies! The sun was rising just a moment ago. You’re our first client for today. Please sit down and we’ll serve you right away, sir.”

“Thanks so much. I am Kim un Kamuy, god of bears. I hope the food here is good.”

“I can't believe it, you’re a Kamuy!? Oh, how blessed are we today! If I remember correctly, the Kamuy choose where to visit by word-of-mouth, right? Will your visit bring us an influx of other Kamuy?”

“Well, for that, you'd need to perform a bear feast ritual, which lasts a year. I'm sure it'll be worth it, though.”

“O-Oh. A ritual… I have to be generous first... Right…”

“So, could I get the menu?”

“Hmm... I’m no magus or Servant. May I see your Serendell-issued Servant ID card? Just to confirm you’re really Kim un Kamuy before we start this ritual, of course.”

“...Of course. Just a moment! Aha!”

Kim un Kamuy

Class: Berserker
Other Classes: N/A
True Name: Kim un Kamuy
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Place of Origin: Ainu Folklore
Stars: 4/5

Parameters:

STR: B
END: B
AGI: C
MGI: C
LCK: C
NP: B

Height: 178cm
Weight: 160lbs
Likes: Food, the mountains (?), the Ainu people
Dislikes: Disrespectful people
Talent: Ruling over bears
Natural Enemy: Fujiwara no Sanekata
Attribute: Sky
Traits: Divine, Male, Humanoid, Weak to Enuma Elish
Armament: Bow and arrows, spear, claws
Catalyst: A bear skull

Class Skills:

Madness Enhancement EX: Instead of a true warp of the mindset, Berserker is merely far more focused on food than he would otherwise be. He can theoretically still be communicated with.

Personal Skills:

Father of the Ainu B: Berserker's status as the father of many tribes of mountain-dwelling Ainu, through children of his. This skill allows Berserker to grant others around some of the "bear's might", ranking their Strength up and giving them sharp claws, as well as Vicious Roar at E rank.

Kamuy C: Berserker's status as one of the most powerful Kamuy, the major deities in Ainu folklore. As the god of bears, a core and essential animal to the people, he gains a somewhat high rank of this Skill, including Divinity at one rank higher, as well as the capacity to command bears and bear-like creatures in the nearby vicinity through his roars. Lastly, this also includes a low-ranked Vicious Roar, though it seems his roar has become something closer to a screech for some reason.

Sendoff Ceremony B: The traditional sendoff ceremony that Ainu people did to send off the bears, feeding them with massive amounts of food for a year before slaughtering them, feasting on them, leaving no part to waste, and purifying their bone, allowing them to ascend back up and tell the others of the hospitality. In the form of a skill, it appears to serve as an "endless gluttony" that transforms food into Mana far more effectively but makes it more necessary. It wouldn't be uncommon to see Berserker dragging his master around begging them to feed him.

Noble Phantasm(s):

Roar Kamuy
Feast, For Tomorrow You May Die

Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Rank: B
Range: 0 meters
Max Targets: 0 targets

When the true name of this Noble Phantasm is called, Berserker takes on the "shell" of a bear once more. However, this bear is massively powerful, ranking up all of Berserker's stats, and while in this state both Kamuy and Sendoff Ceremony are ranked up, allowing the transformation to be sustained almost indefinitely given enough food. Occassionally, Berserker's transformation appears to not quite match a normal (albeit Divine Beast and powerful) bear, appearing to be something different.

Lore: Kim-un-Kamuy, the Ainu Kamuy of Bears, was the god of Bears in Ainu mythology. Bears were a deeply sacred animal to the Ainu, who treated bears with special care. They performed sendoff ceremonies where they would give the bear lots of food before killing and eating it, cleaning the bones to allow the spirit to return to the heavens, for in their belief all entities are minor Kamuy of some level. Kim-un-Kamuy was also supposedly the father of some of the mountain dwelling Ainu tribes.

Personality: A gluttonous and hungry person. Berserker loves eating a lot, and you can frequently find him feasting on whatever catches his fancy, of course forcing his Master to pay for him. But beneath that, you can find a very loyal and powerful servant, willing to aid you so long as you prove yourself to be a genuinely good person.

Relationships:

Ae-Oyna-Kamuy: "It's been a long time. Mind getting me something to eat?"

Beni-Enma: "More, more, more! More food, please!"

Osabekahime: "How did you burn water? Well, whatever. I'll eat it anyway."

“Ah. Perfect! Here’s the menu, sir. What would you like for today?”

"How about.... the salmon fillet? And then the jellyfish stew, and maybe a side of lobster tails? That should be enough to start with."

“That's a lot... Hmm, a one year long ritual of this… but every Kamuy will bring prosperity and spend a lot on the restaurant… Deal!”

Summer is the perfect time to dine out.
But that did not stop this particular client from dining out almost every day, throughout the four seasons. On the plus side, he tried all four different seasonal menus.
A whole year passed. It was summer in Serendell once again.

Once more, the rising sun painted the sky red. The beach was empty, but the restaurant was open.
Inside the restaurant, the cooks prepared ramen components. They were expecting big sales, but because it was the middle of summer. As for the “big influx of Kamuy” that they were promised the year prior… most had already given up on that hope.
The kitchen seemed uncoordinated. Some of the cooks had stopped respecting their boss, once they realized he had been tricked. He even changed the restaurant’s opening time, and changed the menu to include more seafood, all to suit their “most important client.”

Kim un Kamuy entered the ramen shop, oblivious as can be. He sat down and asked for the usual. A big bowl of seafood ramen, minus the octopus meat. That was just the appetizer.

The chef was… tired, and displeased about the whole situation. But, he had already made up his mind. Enough was enough. Today was the day he’d set things straight. The chef stomped out of the kitchen, with his knife in hand.

“Listen, it’s been over a year since our agreement. Summer is almost over. Your Kamuy friends have yet to appear, or bless the shop from the heavens.”

"It'll happen soon, though. Guaranteed. Now, today I'll take the..."

“This… send-off ceremony. It’s about time we go through with it. I don’t know much about ‘Saint Graphs’, but I’ve heard clients talking about it. I even heard one of ‘em say yours is huge. Part of the ritual is so we feast on you. How many tons of bear meat are we going to get!?” The chef stabbed the wooden counter with his knife, his employees watching him from behind, rekindling their respect for their boss.

“Huge Saint Graph? Have I been found out?” The fake Kim un Kamuy thought, panicked.
The shady client slowly started undoing his transformation, in hopes of taking the idea of “bear meat ramen” out of the chef’s head.

“Hey, wait a moment!! The send-off isn’t necessary! It can be ‘serve me and I’ll tell my friends‘ if you want! Let me go back to the heavens! The other Kamuy will be here in no time, they’ll pay a pretty penny for these amazing ramen bowls!”

“Too late, pal. I’ve already called the police and explained the situation to them. We WILL perform the send-off ceremony. No need for your word-of-mouth services. In the end we’ll have literal tons of meat anyway!”

“Hmph, the only word-of-mouth you’ll get is some bad press! The service here is horrible! Once I go to heaven I’ll tell everyone about those apathetic workers you got there! They’re the ones casting doubts about the rituals, aren’t they?””

The client-turned-swindler pointed in the direction of the kitchen. As the chef turned, the fake Kim un, who had remained immobile in his seat, suddenly jumped. A crimson blur headed straight to the door, swimming through the air and tearing the traditional paper door.

Much to his surprise, he crashed into a muscular giant, who was just outside. The police had already arrived.

“Why couldn’t they send me to a beach with girls… Oh, the beast-god is trying to escape after all! Let's butcher them and feast!””

“They sent… a bear to arrest a bear!? No… a sea god?! So they did find out!””

“Not quite, beast. Which is why I am here! We weren’t sure who exactly you are, but no matter, as no beast is beyond my reach!” Super Orion quickly pieced together the information the chef had given him, and what his hunter’s instincts told him, seeing through the swindler in person.

“So you are-”

At kor Kamuy

Servant Stats

Class: Assassin
True Name: At-kor-Kamuy
Also known as: Akkorokamui, Yaushikep
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Origin: Ainu folklore, Shintoism
Region: Japan
Attribute: Earth
Traits: Animal Characteristics Servant, Divine, Divine Spirit, Demonic Beast Servant

Characteristics

Species: Octopus
Gender: Male
Height: 178 cm to 120 metres
Weight: 5kg to 280 tons
Likes: Food, particularly seafood
Dislikes: Fisherman
Talent: Never letting go
Natural Enemy: Repun Kamuy
Catalyst: An octopus tentacle from the Sea of Japan
Other Classes: Caster, Faker

Parameters

STR: A
END: D
AGI: B
MANA: A
LCK: D+++
NP: B

Class Skills

Presence Concealment: C+
The ability to conceal oneself as a Servant. At-kor-Kamuy possesses this Skill from his life as a giant cave-dwelling spider, hiding deep in the mountains. As a sea creature, he opted to camouflage itself instead, which is different from this Skill.
The moment a concealed Servant attacks, the efficiency of this Skill decreases. However, in cephalopod form, Assassin gained the ability to attack without this demerit, by utilizing ink much like a smoke screen. This comes at a steep mana cost.

Camouflage: A
A Class Skill normally exclusive to Faker-class Servants. It is a Skill that allows the user to disguise their Class and parameters. Like the mimic octopus of the Pacific region, Assassin is a master of camouflage. The giant red octopus is known for camouflaging himself as the rising Sun, with its tentacles spreading like light rays. By default, when At-kor-Kamuy's presence is noticed, he will be perceived as a “reflection of the Sun.” If the opponent realizes they are seeing a moving creature, they will perceive At-kor-Kamuy as a “Sun-related Servant” though he is able to disguise himself as different types of Servants.

Personal Skills

Apotheosis: B
While Yaushikep was born as a spider, he reached the cephalopods… as well as the gods.
This Skill can be thought of as an “acquired, divine Natural Body.” No matter how many calories Assassin ingests, his body shape will not change.

End of the Spider Thread (Tentacles): D
Old habits die hard. The monster took over Funka bay as a god, and has since acted as its “benevolent guardian.” He is considered a fickle guardian however, due to possessing a tendency to scheme evil. If it hasn’t received sufficient food offerings, it’s prone to tormenting humans… usually by eating whole boats in a single bite.

Shapeshift: A
Some think Repun-Kamuy transformed Yaushikep into an octopus. In reality, the sea god merely bound the spider to its domain, the sea, so it wouldn’t torment the human villages on land. The spider transformed into an 8-legged sea creature on its own.
Logically, spiders and octopi, creatures with 8 legs, are only second to 9-tailed foxes in shapeshifting ability… or so says At-kor-Kamuy. Combined with the Camouflage Skill, At-kor-Kamuy's impersonation abilities are top-notch.

Blessing of the Sea God: B-
A subcategory of Divinity. The curse placed upon Yaushikep was really a blessing in disguise. Not only did the monster start being worshiped after the whole ordeal, but it became the apex predator of the bay, with access to plenty of seafood. The benefits of this Skill include being able to move inside the sea indefinitely. Unfortunately, it also comes with a hefty demerit, the inability to leave the vicinity of the sea. At most, he is able to go to the beach.

Noble Phantasms

Art of Eastern Pure Land of Lapis Lazuli Dyed Red
Mimic Octopus's Art of Healing

Type: Anti-Unit
Rank: B
Range: 1
Max Targets: 1
Chant: “I vow that my body shall shine as beams of brilliant light on this infinite and boundless world, showering on all beings, getting rid of their ignorance and worries with my teachings.”

A syncretic Noble Phantasm. It can be considered a crystallization of At-kor-Kamuy's ability to heal and bestow knowledge. At-kor-Kamuy's healing was quite poor in life, as he would only use his powers in exchange for food offerings. He would also only heal illnesses relating to the limbs or skin, and required mental purification of the one requesting such blessings. As a Servant, Assassin's ability is increased considerably. Shinto incorporated both Ainu beliefs and Buddhist beliefs. During that process, Akkorokamui was confused with Takoyakushi (literally "octopus doctor"), an interpretation of the Medicine Buddha who's said to cure all illnesses. Both are octopus deities with healing powers, who became famous due to the innate regenerative ability of octopi. At full power, this Noble Phantasm can mimic the Medicine Buddha’s abilities of "eliminating all the suffering and afflictions of sentient beings." Incidentally, the Noble Phantasm’s chant is the 1st of 12 vows the Medicine Buddha uttered upon attaining Enlightenment.

Lore
The legend of At-kor-Kamuy begins in the mountains near an Ainu village called Rebunge. There lived a giant spider called Yaushikep, said to be as large as one hectare with its legs spread out. One day, the great spider decided to wreak havoc on Rebunge. The shouts of despair coming from the village reached the gods. Repun-Kamuy, the sea god, decided to help the humans. He grabbed the spider and pulled it to sea, binding it eternally. The spider, seeing as its movement became impaired underwater, transformed itself into an octopus. The giant monster was now considered master of the bay, only terrorizing humans when they invaded its waters. Some time later, the humans of Rebunge decided to worship the creature, naming it the “tentacle-holding god” or At-kor-Kamuy.
The residents of Funka bay have reported many sightings of At-kor-Kamuy, but his true form is a mystery. He has been said to be an octopus, a squid, or perhaps a half-octopus-fish. The consistent links between the sightings is the gigantic size of the creature and it being at least partially a cephalopod. Its shapeshifting abilities play a role into this mystery.

Personality
At-kor-Kamuy is a laid-back creature and easy to work with. As a Servant, he will serve a Master if he thinks he has something to gain from it (also if he’s properly fed). At-kor-Kamuy’s personality has remained constant, despite his situation changing drastically. He still remains very careful in his movement, like a spider waiting for prey, but his body language doesn’t give that sort of negative impression due to… having a different body. Rather, he merely seems shy instead. He can be considered a “tamed beast” but not a “domesticated” one. A park ranger once said, “There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest humans.” The same can be said for the smartest octopi, or, well, smartest spiders too. He helps humans as a god simply because he knows he can get food offerings that way. He does it because of learned behavior, not the goodness in his heart. He also knows that eating a boat in a single bite doesn’t really affect worship too much, since he doesn’t leave anyone alive to tell the story. He doesn’t have any resentments towards humans or gods, though it fears gods stronger than himself.

Dialogue
To Tamamo no Mae: “O-Oh no. That’s definitely the Shintoist incarnation of the Sun. Surely, she won’t like that a monster is pretending to be her. Though, it seems she is a shapeshifting monster-god herself, so… maybe we can be friends?”

To Katsushika Hokusai: “I wanted to intimidate that tiny octopus with the young lady. Y’know, let him know who the master of the seas is. He said he’s not actually a sea creature, he’s just a big fan of octopi!? Now they’re both following me around with brushes in their hands. They might be bad news…”

To Meltryllis (Summer): “Huh, you can fill the land with sea? I can tell you’re a goddess, but not a sea goddess, so how is that even possible? H-Huh? You’re a sea monster!? We should definitely work together!”

To Kiara Sesshoin (Summer): “Spit it all out! The mermaid meat isn’t yours! Neither is the clam meat! They’re mine!”

To Cu Chulainn (Alter): “That one over there wears the carcass of some sea monster, huh? Eh, even if it were a carcass taken from my waters, there’s no meat in those bones. I can’t eat that. Let him have it.”

To Super Orion, Caenis or Nemo (Triton): "Is that an associate of some sea god I sense? It’s time to slowly… leave this beach… and head to the deep sea… for a while… just in case…"

To Kim un Kamuy: "A Kamuy who can eat almost as much as me. The god of bears and mountains... I've known him since my days as a mountain-dwelling spider. He is more amicable than the god of the sea, that's for sure."

At kor Kamuy spat his mixture of ink and silk into Orion's eyes, blinding the hunter. The octopus dodged the arms of the flailing hunter, and ran towards the rocky beach. Using its self-amputation ability, it left a severed limb as a decoy, and hid his presence. Orion grabbed the phantom limb. A successful capture?

“See you later, suckers!”

It was midday, but the sky and sea began turning red again. At kor Kamuy had already camouflaged himself into the scenery. He got away with it...

.
.
.
?

Of course, the hunter wasn’t lying. No beast was beyond his reach. At kor Kamuy was ultimately caught.


For the next year in Serendell, one was able to see At kor Kamuy helping the lifeguards, as part of his community service sentence. His swimming abilities and healing powers were deemed very useful to them.

In the end, the ramen shop owner received no Kamuy blessings, and no bear meat. Though, rumors say that there’s a new seasonal item on the menu, octopus meat ramen, believed to be made with At kor's amputated limbs.

[DelRey]

The summer comes to an end in roughly 5h when my clock turns midnight.
after that, you all are free to vote as you please. the regular rules apply.

[Vididii]

Damn. I'll put my reasoning later, but I really enjoyed everything this time around- but my votes are the following.

1 Point-

Rider Bergelmir!

2 Points-

The Summer Harmony Trilogy

3 Points-

My favorite friendly little postman,
Watcher of Steglitz Park

[TrueMrMultiverse]

3 Points-Summer Harmony Trilogy
2 Points-Watcher of Steglitz Park
1 Point-Rider of the Variable Vessel

[Saron]

1 Point
Dreamerless and DracoScribe: Rider of the Variable Vessel

2 Points
Sadist Katja and jishara: Kim un Kamuy and At kor Kamuy

3 Points
FarewellToMrA and DracoScribe: Summer Harmony