Dressed in traditional Japanese attire that I'm not used to, I made my way for our planned shrine visit.
Well, I better come up with a wish.
As I was pondering, with a cup of amazake in hand, an approaching figure emerges from the plume of steam.
Wait a sec… How did I not notice this guitar before? Don’t tell me it’s been staring me in the face all this time… Whatever. Might as well pick it up and give it a few strums.
Eh, that definitely wasn’t my best performance. My finger placement was a bit of a mess; I’ve gotten rusty after not playing for so long.
“This was so much fun!”
“We should invite everyone next time.”
“A live concert featuring the two of you? I’ll be there!”
Whoa, slow down. Let’s not get ourselves carried away. I mean, we can always leave tomorrow ‘til it comes, right?
Who knows? Maybe someday, we’ll look back on this indolent chapter of our lives and find it to be as precious as jewelry.
Weird. Why did I say that? I don’t know what’s gotten into me…
Tomorrow will turn out the same as today, if not like yesterday, anyway.
And so we go about our day and the next, and so on, completely oblivious to the looming demise.
That is, until this dream ends and we eventually wake up. Only then will we reminisce fondly about these jewel-like days.
And you know the thing about jewelry and stuff? They’re something you only occasionally take out from your keepsake box to admire.
What a lovely sunny winter day.
As I headed for our meeting spot, I was able to find your figure in no time.
How should I give my gift to you? And once you receive it, what sort of smile will grace your lips?
Riding: C
Habetrot is too scared to ride animals, but she can control her “Flying Multipurpose Spinning Wheel” at will.
Item Construction: B
Crafting tools is also right up the alley of deft-handed Habetrot. Although she can’t create Mystic Codes, her finished outfits tend to have a tinge of Mystics to them and can be used as Craft Essences instead.
Fae Eyes: C
Time begins to flow slowly by viewing reality with a faerie filter, which can come in handy when parrying critical attacks from enemies.
Tam Lin: B
“Keep it between us, okay? I was actually one of the original Tam Lin!”
That said, Habetrot is a Tam Lin only by title since she became one prior to the development of Gifted Names. She doesn’t suffer any penalties from fighting fellow Tam Lins.
PERSONAL SKILLS
Weaving Threads of Fortune: A
It is said that Habetrot’s spun thread attracts good fortune and that clothes woven from it can immediately grant the wearer sound health. A charm that promotes emphasis on health and wellness.
This skill grants one ally debuff immunity for one turn, as well as HP recovery and increased star generation rate. Its short recharge time allows for quick successive usage.
Speedy Spinning: B
Needlework and rush orders on the daily come hand in hand. To meet a bride’s absurd demands, Habetrot would sometimes finish dresses within the same day.
This skill increases her Arts performance and generously charges her NP gauge (on the same level as High-Speed Incantation) at the cost of reducing her HP by a great amount. Handle rush orders in moderation!
Guardian of Brides: EX
Undeterred by any impending adversity, predicament, or malice, Habetrot stands by her philosophy of making brides happy even if it’s the last thing she does.
This skill grants one [female] ally invincibility, guts, and healing regeneration, as well as removes any ailment debuffs (curse, burn, poison). …After usage, Habetrot will perish.
NOBLE PHANTASM
Spinster Habetrot (The Wheel of Time That Weaves For You)
Rank: EX | Classification: Anti-Army | Range: 10-99 | Max target: 30
Spinster Habetrot, also known as the Habbycat Cannon.
Habetrot’s original Noble Phantasm [Bridal Spinning Wheel] is a dress that accentuates a bride. However, due to various circumstances, it has been changed into an insane cannon that fires insane shots.
Magical energy is generated through the Flying Spinning Wheel rather than a Magical Reactor when Habetrot uses it. This Noble Phantasm then turns into a physical weapon that fires in the form of a railgun. The concept of natural span does not apply to it.
(Chaldea summoned Habetrot from Proper Human History, so she might not have any idea as to why this weapon is stored within her soul.)
CHARACTER
First person pronoun: boku/Habbycat
Second person pronoun: kimi/human/first name basis
Third person pronoun: aitsu/omae
〇 Personality
Habetrot can be described as introverted yet active. She shies from asserting herself but is driven in her approach when it comes to what she must do and wants to do. She likes good people and hates the wicked. Although she can distinguish good from evil as someone Neutral-aligned, she doesn’t fixate on which side counts as superior. This stems from how she generally doesn’t hate others.
Habetrot’s values are reflected as such: Peace is comfortable and much preferable, whereas conflict is draining and awful. As a general rule, let Habetrot enjoy her sewing and needlework and she’s a happy faerie.
Be it Proper Human History Habetrot or Lostbelt Habetrot, her nature proves consistent. Whenever she finds a girl she feels is the one (someone she feels has the right to become a happy bride), she pulls out all the stops to care for and support her. Habetrot refers to such girls as “my brides.” Either she will set out to find another bride immediately after sending off the former, or if she finds one more good candidate while already attending to another bride, Habetrot will become engrossed in supporting both. This has led to some describing her as easily infatuated.
Habetrot won’t admit it, but she’s a bundle of devotion. The way this faerie tends to prioritize her brides’ happiness over her own illustrates her self-sacrificing trait.
〇 Habetrot in Faerie Britain
She appears as a spinster faerie in the Fragment chapters. Together with Aesc the Savior, they settled disputes all over Britain. Habetrot’s fate changed significantly when she met Mash, who rayshifted to Fae Era Year 400… Or rather, this faerie made every effort possible to overcome her fate.
When Aesc the Savior and the original Tam Lin stepped down the stage, Habetrot roamed Britain alone and popularized the culture of wedding traditions, sending off many brides in the process.
By the time the new High Queen Era was adopted, Habetrot turned herself into a stone inside a twisted hole in the north and would stay asleep until a certain encounter in 2017. After ever so nonchalantly saving Mash in Sheffield, she would then guide the Master of Chaldea to Orkney, coming to terms with the choice she made.
She originally went by the name Totorot in the Lostbelt and only began calling herself Habetrot after waking up from her stone slumber. The reason for this is that she came to admire Proper Human History Habetrot’s way of life from the legends Mash taught her.
◇
Habetrot was originally a wild hooligan of the Wing Clan and became a member of Aesc’s party following her defeat in their duel. (Although a spinster faerie by nature, she had no means of fulfilling her innate purpose of sending off human brides in the Lostbelt. This “existential conflict” tormented her, giving rise to displaced emotions that turned her into a wild hooligan.) From that point onward, she would achieve exploits as one of the original Tam Lin who fought alongside Aesc the Savior.
The Fragment chapters also reveal that the name “Mash” was written on Mash’s shield in chalk. This was done by Habetrot. When she asked her to show the shield, she deftly wrote Mash’s name on it. The use of a tailor’s chalk is proof that it was Habetrot’s doing.
◇
Brides are “treasures” in Habetrot’s eyes because she is a faerie that will never grow into adulthood. She longs to become a bride herself, but that is a wish never to come true. So at the very least, she wants to protect the future of the beautiful girls she falls in love with at first sight. This could be seen as compensatory behavior on Habetrot’s part, or perhaps, as her radiant dream. “Maybe one day… No, scratch that. I wish I could become like them, too.”
〇 Sample Lines
Brides are great! They’re just so soft and sparkly. Pretty like flowers and dazzling like birds, get what I mean? What reason is there not to love them!
Well, that sucks. Habbycat hates fights.
Who’s your fave bride? Aww, c’mon~ How couldya keep me out of the loop~
Sure it gets grueling, but I have to push through! I’m a maiden after all!
〇 Historical Biography
Habetrot is a spinster faerie from Scottish folklore said to weave cloth with thread spun from cotton flowers and flax fibers and to make garments out of it. She is often portrayed as a small hunched old lady the size of a human child. Habetrot is also known as a faerie that helps women who are preparing for married life and tailors gowns on behalf of busy brides–in other words, every bride’s dream faerie.
In addition to that, clothes woven by Habetrot are considered to be imbued with a mysterious power that relieves its wearer of their illness.
〇 Related Characters (Totorot from Fae Era Year 400)
Aesc
I used to be hot-tempered, you see. Communication wasn’t my strong point, and all I could do was take my mood out on everyone around me. Despite my shortcomings, Aesc met me at my level with sincerity and invited me to travel the world together. The spell she hit me with hurt like hell, but even that pain has become a fond memory of mine!
…Which was why I was rooting for her happiness. I really was.
Mash
Mash is my number one drive. She’s the one who gave my life a purpose, from the turning point to my goal. Whatever awaits us in the future, I’ll practice extensively and build as much experience as possible, all in hopes of gifting her a wedding dress as radiant as the stars with a touch of some words of gratitude.
〇 Related Characters (Habetrot)
Miss Crane
Crane makes it in my top 3 reasons I’m glad to be summoned in Chaldea! There’s so much to learn from her cutting-edge expertise, not to mention she’s a phenomenal fashion pro.
If I’m being honest though, I find it a bit of a shame. ‘Cause look how pretty she is, right? I sure would love to design a Spiritron Dress modeled after her…
Caster Artoria
Isn’t she a Faerie from the Inner Sea of the Planet? How come she’s such a tomboy?
Oberon
I [look at him and] find myself thinking, as a fellow faerie, “Now that’s a faerie.” Oberon is the paragon of our kind on account of both his cool side and liar side.
Red Hare
That’s an Asian kelpie, right? Who thinks he thinks he’s human?! Gosh, isn’t he such a character?
On another note, talking to Red Hare makes me a bit emotional. I wonder why.
Britomart
No way, Britomart turned into a faerie?! When you became a Heroic Spirit, did your class change to faerie for successfully defeating a tyrant? Whoa! You’re a hero, the real deal!
Both your red and white dresses are of the highest grade, gifts from Gloriana herself… Wait, you inherited the name from your mother? Britomart II? …Whoa, hold on. I’m getting info overload from your personal history!
Mash
She’s my current fave bride! I don’t know how exactly I became the guardian faerie of the Black Barrel, but even if I wasn’t, I’d still love to make a whole bunch of outfits for her. The same goes for you, who I believe will be the one linking arms with her!
Morgan
Everybody says Morgan is terrifying, but she’s elegant and graceful and attentive. I like her. How could I not, when she has such a sweet visage!
…Not that I don’t get where they’re coming from. When she’s mad, the temperature in the room instantly drops below freezing.
〇 Plot Notes (Please read after clearing LB6)
Throughout their pilgrimage across Faerie Britain, the broken Black Barrel was stowed hidden inside the Spinning Wheel Habetrot rode. It ceased to function the moment they set foot in the isles and suffered further damages after being forcibly used.
During the siege of Sheffield, Mash’s “aversion to fighting”, which lay hidden in her subconscious, prompted her to abandon the Black Barrel. Habetrot happened to be around when she did and stole it from under their enemy Beryl’s nose. She then chose to continue their journey all the while hiding what she did even from Mash.
Habetrot's actions may seem motivated by curiosity and greed at a glance, but that is not the case. Simply being in possession of cutting-edge machinery, such as the Black Barrel, is in fact poison to faeries. Nevertheless, she held onto it for safekeeping until the very end all because of a hunch that Mash would one day need it.
Habetrot continued to guard the Black Barrel unbeknownst to anyone, even as it chipped away at her Spirit Origin, all so that she could send it as a gift for her dear friend Mash’s future.
COMMENT FROM THE ARTIST
Since she’s a spinster faerie, I tried incorporating spinning wheel elements into her outfit and equipment. Doing so had been a struggle, and it wasn't until I saw how she was portrayed sewing and dressmaking in the story that I thought, “Oh… I could have expanded my interpretation like that!” It kinda made me reflect on my inability to think outside the box.
By the way, the mount design is inspired not by sushi…but, in fact, a goldfish. No special reason, I just figured something tiny and cute would be fitting. It would make my day to know you like Habbycat. (Hirai Yukio)
Class: Rider
True Name: Bartholomew
Sex: Male
Origin: History
Region: Caribbean Sea
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Height: 188cm
Weight: 79kg
Strength: C | Endurance: D+ | Agility: C | Mana: D | Luck: B | Noble Phantasm: A
Writer: Higashide Yuuichirou / Artist: Mata
Voice Actor: Kobayashi Chiaki
CLASS SKILLS
Riding: D
Riding skill. Capable of riding most vehicles like most people.
Magic Resistance: E
Protection against magecraft. Although incapable of nullifying magecraft, it allows him to reduce damage taken to a degree.
PERSONAL SKILLS
Voyager of the Storm: A+
The talent to helm anything that is recognized as a ship. Given that group leadership proves indispensable [in this line of work], this special skill combines the effects of Tactics and Charisma.
Bartholomew led the world’s largest group of pirates and imposed an absolute pirate code on them.
Pirate Gentleman: A
This special skill, stemming from the peculiar values of a pirate, is a combination of low-rank Mental Corruption, Valor, and Battle Continuation.
Although he had been unpredictably violent with his crew, he also possessed the valor to charge toward a rain of bullets. He was initially reluctant to become a pirate, hence the low rank.
Gale Plunder: A
A skill that indicates how much one excels in piracy.
As the captain of the world’s largest crew of pirates, Bartholomew was rather adept at plundering.
NOBLE PHANTASM
Black Dirty Barti Howling (Howl of the Noble Pirate Bart)
Rank: C+~B+ | Classification: Anti-Army Noble Phantasm | Range: 1~20 | Maximum number of targets: 15 ships in the direction of firing
Black Dirty Barti Howling, simply put, is the simultaneous firing of pirate ships. Away from the yoke of the seas, Bartholomew unleashes a full broadside volley.
However, forming a proper strategy beforehand is a must to increase its maximum power. Do note that if the target happens to be a famed captain or strategist, they will see through his schemes in no time.
CHARACTER
First person pronoun: watashiSecond person pronoun: omae/kimi/kikou/shokun (ladies and gentlemen)
Third person pronoun: kare/kanojo
〇 PERSONALITY
A stylish, dashing dandy. His love runs deep for the mekakure[1] type (regardless of their gender) but isn’t vocal about his feelings.
“I am not vocal about it, but Mash is cute. You sure are, Mash. Oh, Fran-chan. You are lovely, Fran-chan. And you, Fuuma Koutarou-kun: would.”
Save his obsessive affection toward the mekakure type, Bartholomew is generally well-mannered. Though on the flip side, he is perfectly capable of committing wicked deeds without so much as batting an eye. This makes him a great pirate who possesses both cruelty and sincerity.
His episodes of violence may not be sporadic like Black Beard’s, but he is quick to deal with those he has chosen to abandon.
〇 MOTIVE/ATTITUDE TOWARDS HIS MASTER
Bartholomew interacts with his Master elegantly like the dandy he is, except when the topic is mekakure; in which case, he starts speaking a little too fast.
He is blessed with good judgment and decisiveness, but he is generally willing and even makes it a point to abide by his Master’s commands. That said, when he betrays you, he does so without so much as a by-your-leave—which lives up to his reputation(?) as a pirate.
〇 SAMPLE LINES
“Leveling up feels like there’s some heat building up in my lower abdomen... I could get hooked on this.”
“Your characteristic crudeness makes me envious, Black Beard. I truly envy your simplicity—to the point where I’m under the delusion that this might be friendship.”
“Now, I have accomplished what I could never have done in my lifetime. Indeed… I have, without a doubt, delivered hope!”
〇 HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY
Bartholomew Roberts was a great pirate who led what is considered to be history’s largest group of pirates. Despite such a feat, piracy as a career was something he never wished for in the first place, making his origins very unique.
Bartholomew was originally a lowly second mate on the slave ship Princess until its hijacking by pirates, and it was this incident that left him with the reluctant choice to join the pirate business if he wished to stay alive. As it so happened, Bartholomew had a remarkable aptitude as a pirate; with the death of their captain, his crewmates convinced him to take post.
Perhaps fed up with how very hopeless pirates were after several acts of piracy, he worked out and enforced a stringent pirate code on his entire fleet despite the unlikelihood that every single mate of his crew would adhere to it.
While other pirates were disappearing one after another through the increasing efforts of the crackdown of armies from various countries, Bartholomew remained standing as the last and greatest pirate of all.
However, like all other famed pirates, he would also suffer the same tragic fate: Bartholomew engaged in battle with the army ship that had located them all the while reprimanding his drunken, unconscious crew. As ill luck would have it, he suffered an instantaneous death by a grapeshot to the throat.
Perhaps shocked by the demise of this man of overwhelming charisma, his crew allegedly surrendered without much resistance.
〇 FateGO BIOGRAPHY
For some reason, it seems that all pirates are into some sort of type; in Bartholomew’s case, it’s the mekakure type (regardless of their gender).
Because he claims to be a dandy, he will never make a move that could blatantly expose his fetish. Was he always into the mekakure type, or did he develop this fetish after death? Bartholomew doesn’t remember either.
〇 IN ATLANTIS
Bartholomew was originally one of the Servants summoned ahead of time in Atlantis. Instead of joining the main force, he operated as a separate squad in charge of disrupting the Atlantis army, overseeing covert maneuvering, as well as acting as a decoy.
Even after the main force was annihilated, Bartholomew integrated into Atlantis as a transporter (it helped that the people of Atlantis had become less vigilant after many years of peace in the islands), waiting for the day when reinforcements would be sent.
In the end, he fulfilled the dream he could never have achieved in his lifetime due to his position as a pirate. His dream of delivering hope came true.
〇 DEFAULT ARMAMENT
Cutlass and flintlock
〇 RELATED CHARACTERS
Black Beard
I want nothing to do with you. Just do me a favor and die. Through your death, I will grow as a human being.
Drake
She’s a fine pirate, so I'd like to take a leaf out of her book.
I’m not interested in her as a woman, mind you. But the Drake I met in Atlantis? That's another story. Top-tier mekakure.
Anne BonnyI’m not interested in her. Not in the slightest.
Mary Read
A bit of a shame... Ever considered growing your bangs?
FrankensteinWonderful. Your doctor (father) was a man of culture.
Mash Kyrielight
Wonderful. Truly wonderful. Stanning her from afar.
All the other various mekakure Servants
Am I in heaven?
COMMENT FROM THE ARTIST
Here's the thing: When I received his character profile, I did think, “He sure has a lot of character~!” But nothing could have prepared me for finding out he was 5 times more intense than my first impression upon his release as a playable character. Boy, that was funny.
If I remember correctly, he was supposed to be a closeted otaku in his initial setting (Well, you’re not doing a good job hiding it!). With that in mind, I designed him to have this snobbish feeling over all and showed his unconcealable otaku-ness through his expressions and his gun strap. I guess I could have amped up that feature up a bit?
By the way, his clothes don’t quite fit him because I pictured him to be dressed up in his loots. Given the chance, I'd like to make him wear a T-shirt like Black Beard. (Mata)
[1] Possible equivalents are Peek-a-Bangs and Blinding Bangs.
