[Image Description: Four screenshots from Fate/Grand Order showing in order, (1) the Bond Level Up screen for Caster Arturia, where her Bond Level has gone up from 9 to 10; (2) the “Craft Essence Extracted” screen that shows Arturia’s Max Bond Craft Essence of “The Promised Time”; (3) a screenshot of Arturia's Servant card, with emphasis on all 10 of her bond diamonds in the level screen being filled and about to be enhanced to Bond 11; and (4) a “Bond Level Limit Released” screen that shows Arturia's Bond Level limit being broken to reach Level 11. End Description.]
Considering it's been... almost 4 months since she was summoned during NA's 5th Anniversary, I'm kinda shocked and happy at how Bond 10 came about this quickly. And for it to happen on Halloween too... well.
This is much better than any other "treat" I could have right now. And at this point, when I'm in my own odd place in life trying to find out where I am, I can't help but smile because it feels like the game is trying to cheer me up again.
Thankie, Arturia-san. Even if you aren't the Saber I grew up with, you're still a Servant who's done so much (even making my dreams a bit easier to sleep through after Ong Ngoai passed away those initial few weeks) and I'm grateful.
The following story and song is all for you.
--------------------------
Arturia couldn't remember an exact moment of warmth before her time in Novum Chaldea. In that other Britain — in Fairy Britain — warmth was a luxury, after all. Fires could go out easily in the winter with those cold winds, not helped by shops and fellow neighbors being discriminatory like the rest of the horrid lot (because she wasn't from their Britain, she was from Avalon, and that was it), so Arturia quickly had to adjust to a world without it.
It was why it was so jarring to feel Vy's warmth through her hand one day, just after they had finished a quest. At the time, Arturia was joined by her Proper Human History Saber self, Robin Hood, Achilles, and Mash, so when Vy had opted not to close the simulator, it took a moment for Arturia to realize she was the only one double-taking. More so when, without hesitation, the Chaldean Master had proceeded to reach over to squeeze Arturia's fingers with her own, and even through her glove, it felt scalding.
"I probably should've asked if I could hold your hand before doing it, but it felt like desperate times called for desperate measures. And well..." Vy giggled, unknowingly starting to unravel the knot that had formed in Arturia's chest. "We have some time, so why not sit down with me and the others for a break, Arturia-san?"
"N-Not back in Novum Chaldea, Master?"
Vy's smile looked so bright past the sweat and flecks of grime sticking to her cheeks as she nodded. "Aye! You deserve a break just as much as the rest of us, and a change of pace is good for everybody!"
Arturia didn't even realize how the other Servants proceeded to spread out and make their own spots on the grass in the time she took in hesitating, Mash pulling out a soft blanket from a corner of her Ortinax shield with Achilles' help for more sitting space. With nothing to offer (especially in the face of her other self giving her a look of some kind), Arturia found herself meekly following Vy's lead in sitting down as that scalding warmth spread up her arm. It surprisingly was not painful in spite of the new sensations it was sending up every nerve in her body.
Is this—
Once Arturia folded her dress underneath her knees, the last thing she expected was for Robin to reach past the blanket to grab an otherwise random green leaf that had fallen to the ground, bringing it to his lips and closing his eyes. A single clear note rang out in the simulator then as he blew at it, and it took Arturia way too many seconds to realize he just made a leaf whistle. And was starting to blow at it in a melody she could barely recognize.
While crossing his prized legs, Achilles dematerialized part of the armor near his knees just to start drumming his palms against it in a beat to match the whistle. Arturia's Proper Human History self — King Arthur — went on to start humming under her breath in time with Mash bobbing her head back and forth, and, and—
Arturia paused.
Vy hadn't let go of her hand, but she scooted closer to Arturia to start singing, tilting her head up towards the sky with that same bright warm smile.
"Fairy, where're you going? We'll gather the light along the way and make it shine upon a brand new day!"
Sure, Vy might've been like any other human from her line of history, considering her high-pitched voice and occasional tired cough, but with her Servants serving as the "band" and her voice the main "vocalist" in that moment, well. She could've been a fairy of her own making. A fairy far beyond what Fairy Britain could make. What Arturia herself remembered.
"Oh yeah! Can you hear the voice that's calling you, yeah?"
Mash was adding her own happy "Oh yeah!" in time with Vy's singing as Vy raised her free hand up in the air, wiggling a pointer finger along with Robin's whistle.
"Oh yeah! It's raw and hoarse from screaming after you!"
Achilles then put in his rendition of "Oh yeah!" as Vy's voice raised in volume.
"Oh yeah! But it won't give up until you can answer it. Oh yeah! Oh yeah!" Vy's Command Seals glowed to accentuate the lotus against her knuckles as she continued to wiggle her finger in the air to the beat. Arturia could see through her own numbness Robin opening his visible eye to stare at Vy with fondness as he continued to blow at the leaf whistle. "Though all this time has past, I still remember! The sun and moon and how they shine together. It feels so strange when you are not here with me — I need your smile just to keep me going!"
Just as King Arthur put in her soft, "Oh yeah," Vy then opened her eyes to give Caster Arturia a happy look.
The closest to a loving look Arturia could ever remember in her entire lifetime.
"In my heart; it's snowing. I'm trying my best to smile. Slowly, it's warming as fate is linking your heart with mine! Fairy, where're you going? We'll gather the light along the way and make it shine upon a brand new day!"
By the time Arturia found herself smiling back, she internally decided she knew what "warmth" finally meant.
Warmth was with Vy, where she could sing her honest feelings out with the Shielder and the Grailed Servants who loved her.
And Arturia knew, even without the rainbow flame in a Bond Chalice (as much as she loved it, as much as she loved it), that she loved Vy just as much too.
Jeanne, Tamamo, and Casturia are gonna have a lot of fun together. She seems like she could have a lot of synergy with both and make it more interesting than double Jeanne or Double Tamamo. Even if you think(or worry) that Casturia is gonna replace Tamamo or Jeanne, you gotta remember that this game is about playing how you want and think less about meta, because that'll just stop you from using servants you like. Servants will always be up to snuff if you care enough to use them, even if there's someone better out there. The only thing this impacts is the friend's list, and only one slot at that.
