first aid kit.

even if the summer comes to an end soon / I’ll definitely, definitely remember

[hopeled-archive]

so i believe ritsuka's blog got shadowbanned or something due to no asks or anything even working/going through and i figured well it's a good time to move her for a fresh start anyways so!

you can find her here, the url is still the same and this blog will obviously be kept up for archival purposes because it has Everything

[vamplyrical]

THE HEAT WAS EXCRUCIATING, REALLY, the way the sun blazes down against him. had he not needed to be out this day, he would be happily snugged up into his bed and resting the harsh heat away... if only his bed wasn't within the streets right now, standing upright on wheels being pushed by none other than himself. to anyone who looked, however, they would see a rather elaborate coffin, coated black and tailored with a small cross on the front.

strange looks were a given, especially since the direction he was coming from was the church. and after some time, the heat finally collapses in on him, causing him to stumble to the ground as the ungodly roll of wheels resounds loudly until it comes to an awkward halt in front of a red-headed woman. he sits there, brushing some bangs and sweat from his face, as he looks up to see what could very well be his savior for the day.

❝ Ah~. Young lady, would you be so kind to help in getting this home for me? ❞ nope, no plans of telling her why he was hoisting a coffin through the searing hot heat to the point of near passing out.

@hopeled

[hopeled-archive]

it's like something out of some B-rated comedy. at first cursory glance, Ritsuka assumed this was just someone crazy enough to be trying to move furniture in this heat all by themselves. she hadn't quite made out that the large item on wheels was anything but some oddly shaped box. but as she stands there, watching the not-to-be-mistaken-for-anything-else-coffin roll to a stop before her (squeaky wheels filling the silence), she comes to a realization.

this might as well happen to her.

" That's a coffin." she states matter-of-factly, hand pointing at the piece of furniture while her body leans to the side to better see the one on the ground. " You're pushing a coffin on wheels. Do– do you know that?" shaking her head, she moves around the object to extand a hand out to the other, head tilted. " I don't mind helping you but, uh.....are you sure you're not suffering from heat stroke or something? Also why didn't you just call a moving service?"

[computerqueen]

* Oh Dear * That Sounds Like A Great Way To Royally Fuck Stuff Up LMAO

* What I Do With My Servants Is：Subject Them To Minigames * A Volleyball Contest Would Be Perfect IMO

[hopeled-archive]

" You don't even know the half of it. One time I ended up in this weird sort of time-loop situation that involved making doujin endlessly." not the most useful of skills but could come in handy.

" You have Servants too, huh?" she has a feeling they aren't talking about the same thing but that's fine. " Exactly! I'd have to get some specially made volleyballs, however, otherwise they'd all break each round."

[avginian]

❝ It can't be that bad, can it? I haven't been sick in some time, but a little bedrest and some tending to and boom, it should be all taken care of, right? ❞

[hopeled-archive]

"....... Have you ever been sick when the temperature is well into the high 90's when the best advice is to sweat the fever out? And you're home is a chateau the size of a lake with air conditioning that never likes to hit your favorite spot?"

[hopeled-archive]

" Every year the Servants tend to do something for the summer that usually ends up spiraling out of control. I just hope this year it doesn't have to do with some ancient diety or god. Could really use a break from that."

any sort of mythological being, really. " Maybe I can get them to just have a volleyball contest...."

[thybrilliance]

   ⠀Ritsuka's crying.

   ⠀That alone fills Ophelia with a sense of growing dread, and it gnaws harder at her insides each time words fail her— her, humanity's last valid Master. Ritsuka Fujimaru, whose hands are no doubt permanently stained red by now. She slides something towards Ophelia, presenting an unassuming piece of paper pulled from an equally unassuming leather book.

   ⠀Her gaze lingers on Ritsuka's crumpled face, far more torn than this worn piece of paper, and then she begins to read.

   ⠀They knew it would end this way. That doesn't bode well for the author.

   ⠀They were a mage. That was to be expected, as so few are left on this bleached landscape, but it narrows down the pool of possibilities significantly— this most likely isn't someone that was born in a Lostbelt.

   ⠀They've both almost died and actually died—

   ⠀This is from a Crypter. She's certain. But who... ?

   ⠀Ophelia carefully reads the rest of the note, and she finds the penmanship to be... vaguely familiar. There was more than one occasion, in the very beginning, where Team A's paperwork would cross her eyes. After all, the bulk of Team A were so absorbed in their own preoccupations that someone had to make sure things were turned in on time. It can't be Kirschtaria's, as his is much neater than this— a thought that makes her grimace as Olga Marie's words re-enter her mind. … No, Kirschtaria couldn't have written this. Ritsuka's wound is too recent— and like Ophelia, he's been sleeping for quite some time. It could be Pepe... but this doesn't quite sound like Pepe's voice.

   ⠀The dread in her stomach is yawning, acid longing to broil over. Her visible eye returns to Ritsuka's face, no less stricken than it was when she began.     ❛ ⠀... Fujimaru... Which one ?⠀❜  

[hopeled-archive]

it's silly to cry, some small voice in her head says. prior to this, the last time she cried was when the Avengers had to leave. that memory causes another sharp jab of pain for an entirely different reason but that was not about this.

she has to gain some composure, otherwise how can she answer that burning question? inhaling sharpy, hands raise to furiously wipe away the ever-flowing tears, eyebrows furrowingas her gaze fell onto the note in her hands.

"Kadoc." it sounded silly. after all, she would have thought that it wasn't Kadoc's in any way either. since when did he write like that? it seemed different than what Ritsuka thought but that was....his journal. and his note. and had she not seen him leave with her own eyes, had Lancer not confirmed his death, she would have thought it was a joke.

' I'm going to die. Just let it happen.'

stupid. how could she just let it happen? but they had to. they had to or else everything would have been for nothing and– a sharp intake of breath as Ritsuka forces her brain to stop from going down that path as her hands come to wrap carefully around the leather-bound journal, cradling it as if it was the most precious metal in the world.

".....Did you know that Akuta was secretly an incarnated Elemental? She's....well, she's a Servant now, oddly enough. Kirschtaria....was stabbed by Beryl on Olympus after we fought. Daybit is in the underworld with his Servant and Pepe~" a hand tucks some of her hair behind her ears, hating the way it was starting to stick to her cheeks. " That son of a bitch Beryl is the reason why he's dead, too. " but that thing is also gone from this world (good riddance) but Ritsuka keeps that last part to herself. no matter how much she despised that man....he was still Ophelia's former teammate.

"......it was just–just me and Kadoc left for the longest time. He was in a coma but after waking up, started to help us." under extreme circumstances at first but quickly becoming a trusted ally. " And then there– there was this court, this humanity court and w-we had to answer for our crimes against humanity because Marisbury had tricked everybody and–it was going fine and then Raspu– I mean Kotomine showed up and he was the prosecutor and everything was going fine but he t-turned it around on Kadoc and what he did against Chaldea and–"

she's talking too fast, stumbling over her words, hiccups puncturing every breath as she furiously blinks away these stupid, stupid tears that refused to stop. " He said to let him die and I couldn't– I couldn't I mean how did he expect me to just let him do that?! It was going fine and t-then he was guilty and he had to die and I don't understand– I was guilty too how come I didn't–!" she's hardly making sense anymore. she knows none of this will make sense to Ophelia but the cracks in the wall are growing by the second and all she can think about is how it all fell down.

[thybrilliance]

   ⠀Ophelia doesn't think it wise to mention she's already found Mashu, as that would just give Ritsuka another opportunity to halfheartedly change the subject. Not that she herself fully understood what the subject was just yet...

   ⠀❛ ⠀You're probably right. It's good to be back. … Honestly, I feel as though I've just been sleeping a while.⠀❜ ⠀Perhaps she can't judge Ritsuka too harshly for dodging the issue at hand, as here she is padding the silence just as readily. The Crypter pauses for a beat or two, then begins to get comfortable in the grass directly across from her. There isn't really a comfortable position when the blades are gently prodding against her stockings, but that's the least of her concerns.

   ⠀❛ ⠀But I'm here with you right now, so I'm a little more concerned about how you're feeling. You look... ⠀❜   Being up close does nothing for Ritsuka's appearance— disheveled nearly doesn't cover it.    ❛ ⠀... Um... You look ill.⠀❜  

[hopeled-archive]

maybe it's wrong to laugh. if you could even call it that– it was more of a scoff mixed with huff of air meant to resemble a laugh. the last time someone said she looked bad was......Aelin. few were that honest with her, always worried about how she would take such a thing being noticed. it makes her smile but not for long as she thinks on what was said before.

Ritsuka hated it– the way memories worked here. going to sleep peacefully one night and waking up to a pain that no words could ever hope to describe. and she just....had to act as if everything was fine, that nothing changed. no one else knew but her and just what the hell was she supposed to do with that? for the last two years, it has been filled with constant losses. necessary, vital to keep moving on– reasons she knew where why but hated nonetheless.

hands reach forward on their own, coming to rest against the object that sat between the two. she had to say it. she had to tell Ophelia. even if the other mage were to be gone tomorrow..........she still needed to know. but words are impossible. her mouth opens and closes a few times, incapable of forming even one syllable. and like before, it happens.

her vision becomes far too cloudy and Ophelia turns into an amalgamation of colors. but her hands remember– they open something clad in leather, pulling out a neatly folded note with a frayed edge, as if torn to be read over and over. she hands it to the other without a word.

[robustdragonheart]

"I'm doing as fine as I can for now."

It only became apparent to the servant that their powers were not as endless as she originally assumed. Some seemed to be fading away while just fighting in general caused the knight to feel fatigued even after a few encounters. An impossibility prior to arriving here without someone as strong as her being on the opposing side, but one she had to be aware of now.

"My apologies for worrying you. I should be the one protecting you and I let my guard down." At the very least the Glitched didn't seem like they were overwhelming the two yet. But anything could change at the drop of a dime.

"We should be getting you somewhere safe however. I don't like that the crowds keep appearing like this. Not when there's so little we know about the situation."

[hopeled-archive]

" It's okay. As your Master, it's only right that I also look out for you and back you up. "

it's not like either of them could know that even the Servants would be affected to this degree. the slow drain on their abilities and powers was concerning enough– the last thing Ritsuka wanted was for Melusine to fade away entirely. after all, what about the respawn system? the Abyss? would it be like when the mists covered the island and it was weeks before she came back?

there was far too much unknown and taking any unnecessary risks wasn't worth finding the answers to those questions.

" Is there anywhere truly safe? Nothing seems to be able to stop how fast this is spreading. It's....worse than a virus. Not even the villagers in Salem changed this fast."

[thybrilliance]

   ⠀There are times that emotions are palpable enough to charge the air. If an argument gets heated enough, electricity can dance between two people. When embarrassment is too strong to endure, it can give bystanders second or even third-degree burns. She can't say she's experienced every single case firsthand, but Ophelia is aware enough to feel the shifts in atmosphere.

   ⠀In Fujimaru's case, the air is colder. Even as she takes up residence in the grass, It's as though she's the one spot the sun doesn't dare to touch. Something is leaving an indent in the grass in front of her lap, but Ophelia can't quite make it out. As she continues her approach, she makes a point to step as loudly as possible without stomping around like an idiot— if she intends to intrude regardless, she may as well give Chaldea's Master ample time to make a clean getaway.

   ⠀❛ ⠀Fujimaru.⠀❜ ⠀She speaks far more gently than she steps, almost as if rousing her from a dream. It's been a long time (although she can only begin to guess how long), and she's sure there's plenty of things to catch up on (both on and off the island), but Ophelia's far more concerned with the immediate that's affected Ritsuka so strongly. Does she even need to follow that up with a question ?

—@hopeled.

[hopeled-archive]

someone's talking.

her brain registers that. there is another presence nearby, close and.....familiar. she knows that voice, that cadence, and it should be welcomed. the master knows she should be happy to hear it, that her body should move so her eyes land on something real and tangible. muscle memory should be kicking in as a smile falls into place but her body doesn't even feel real right now. hardly anything does. a thought she hasn't had in a long, long time.

Ritsuka blinks once, twice, but never moves. her gaze remains forwards, focused on something that laid beyond the skyline, noting for the first time the sun's position in the sky. time passes in the blink of an eye– she swore it was dawn just an hour ago. not that it really mattered what time it was. keeping track of the hours seemed so unimportant right now.

"......Ophelia." she manages, voice hoarse with disuse and hardly above a whisper. she blinks again, taking a deep, shaky breath for what felt like the first time in hours. right now, Ritsuka doesn't have the strength to keep up an act, evident by the way she sluggishly pushes herself up to sit, her back aching beyond belief. " You're back......that's good. Mashu will be happy to see you."

[hopeled-archive]

" Getting the flu during the summer should actually be a crime at this point." she's been battling her sinuses for a week already.

[hopeled-archive]

just a little note to say that i've updated ritsuka's canon point to post OC4 aka ordeal call 4! any and all spoilers included in future posts will be put under a read more and tagged with 'oc4 spoilers' for the next 3 months to be on the safe side!

[hopeled-archive]

does uh does anyone know a good lawyer--

[hopeled-archive]

" I know this will eventually come to an end, but...."

whatever would be the end of that sentence never comes, words trailing off into silence as the master looks down from her perch upon a store rooftop. here, she can see the glitched wreak their havoc: mindless, inhumanely strong, and with only one goal in mind. in a way, she's reminding of when NULL descended on the city. Spirale was in no way immune to danger, Ritsuka knows this well, but it's that old familiar feeling of not being able to do enough settling in her chest that bothers her.

she sighs quietly before turning around, steps slow but quiet as she makes her way to where the Servant was resting against the walled ledge. " How are you holding up, Lancer? " her gaze flickers down to the wound bleeding along Melusine's left calf. a gloved hand reaches out, the recovery spell flowing from her fingertips. " This should help for now. You need to be extra careful. Everyone in this place is getting their powers weakened."

@robustdragonheart - to die for

[hopeled-archive]

" Ah, sorry about that, Shirou. Didn't mean to tug you so hard. "

she speaks in but a whisper, the master having quickly tugged down the other to duck behind an off-center dumpster. though the boardwalk wasn't as infested as it was days ago, things have changed. truly nowhere in the city nor across the water was safe– red as far as the eye can see, a crimson that reminded her of the red moon that fell over the land during that pseudo-singularity. (funnily enough, she was working with Muramasa during that time. ) rather than servants battling it out, the streets were infested with the infected.

carefully does she peak out behind the corner of the dumpster, eyes narrowing in on a group of five glitched shuffling and twitching their way down the pier before quickly converging on the sound coming from a broken stereo. " I don't see anymore of them, but....."

words trailed off as her hand instinctively brushes against tizona, sheathed against her hip. she had no plans to use it– choosing to don the decisive battle mystic code, that alone should be enough. the dagger was a back up. truly a last resort. " If we're going to look for stragglers, we better do it while they're distracted. And quickly." thought Ritsuka had hope they would find some survivors......something tells her otherwise.

@originsword -- to die for

[hopeled-archive]

bit late but with u&f done!! i'm going to throw out a lil starter call for ritsuka for the event, leaving uncapped largely because her role will mostly be helping people to spots of safety and the like rather than actively seeking out fights. she's just a normal human but has some special skills (like her mystic codes, their spells, poison immunity, the good stuff!) so feel free to like this if you want a funky protag to tag along and try to lighten the mood

[hopeled-archive]

" Ah, it's starting to get hot out......I wonder if I should invest in getting a pool...." sure, she could go swimming in the ocean but a pool sounds so much nicer.

[hopeled-archive]

" You know, somehow, owning and working at my own cafe on Valentine's isn't nearly as hectic as having to make over 200 chocolates for Servants."

and yet she still has flour and chocolate smeared on her cheeks. " At least I don't have to worry about finding somewhere to put a chocolate statue...."