rosavelle | Artoria Caster Catch-All

[ Trade! Tasty foods! Magical trinkets! Honestly, is there any reason for Artoria to not be eagerly interested in cross-country trade? It's not like Faerie Britain ever had anybody to show up at their docks, after all... so technically, this is a first for her!

For all her differences, in the end, Artoria has one thing in common with every other Artoria... that being their draw towards good food and snacks. Case and point, the crepe-like creation in her hands as she walks about the docks. She's munching away at it, and... there's no sugarcoating it. Her eyes have never been lit up quite this brightly.

That said, something seems to change as she walks past a stall selling a variety of trinkets and accessories. Earrings, bracelets, hairpins, all inlaid with brightly-colored gemstones...

...Not real gemstones, of course. Most likely just colored glass, but that didn't really matter to Artoria. The second she saw the stall, her eyes were drawn towards it like magnets. Specifically, towards the hairpins... but it's different. Her eyes aren't sparkling in adoration. If anything, it's more like... she's lost in thought.

...it would be fine, right? There's no reason she can't, no reason she shouldn't. Nobody is going to take it away from her. There's no duty hanging over her head. No enemies to fight.

And yet, for some reason, she can't help but hesitate. ]

[ And it's while she's in the middle of dithering that a familiar voice pipes up from behind her; ]

Oh, Artoria-chan! Hi!

[ Ai comes trotting over, weaving her way through the crowd as she goes. Given the basket hanging from her arm and the little list she's carrying, it looks like she's out on some kind of work errand. ]

You're out shopping too?

Ah…! Ai…

[ She snaps out of her trance, turning to face Ai. Man, Artoria really should’ve brought a bag of her own… then again, she’s mostly just getting and eating food right now, so… ]

Yep! It’s my first time seeing so much stuff being sold in one place… well, actually, it’s my second time… but still!

[ ServantFes and the countless booths selling doujinshi probably counts, come to think of it. ]

[ Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. ]

Wow, really? Oh, I guess if your home doesn't have hot springs yet then it makes sense they probably wouldn't have department stores...

[ What the correlation is there is anyone's guess.............

In any case, she turns her attention back to the trinkets Artoria had been admiring and tilts her head. ]

Oh, these are cute... are you picking up something for your hair?

Ahaha... yeah, I pretty much lived out in the boonies, so...

[ PROPER HUMAN HISTORY IS PRETTY WILD, HUH!! She doesn't know what time period Faerie Britain's culture and technological advancement would equate to in Proper Human History's time, but it was definitely behind Fujimaru's time! Still, she'll just... pretend it's because she lived out in the countryside.

Which!! Technically isn't a lie!! ]

H-Huh?! My hair?!

[ Artoria reacts a little too strongly. Was it really that obvious?! There's, like, so many other trinkets here! Were her eyes that obviously aimed at the hairpins?! (Yes, yes they were.) ]

U-Um, I mean, I guess? I mean, it's probably just colored glass and stuff, but they looked pretty...

[ Part of her still seizes up. She shouldn't, she knows that she has nothing to worry about, that there's nobody who would take it away from her anymore... but she still finds herself stopping short of reaching for one herself. ]

[ On one hand, she really shouldn't be surprised. Of course the place that's, like, explicitly all about love and romance and all that jazz would have equally love-themed events. Honestly, she really should've expected something like this. She should, going forward, expect everything to be akin to the way things get during Valentine's Day.

...but on the other hand, isn't this super embarrassing?! ]

U-Um... uh...

[ Her face? Beet red, of course. This is, of course, just rehearsals... but why the heck is she here again?! She doesn't even have a girlfriend!! Or a boyfriend!! Preferably a girlfriend???

The answer is, of course, simple... and damning. Unfortunately, she heard that it was a competition, and she can't say no to a competition. Once she says she'll do something, you better believe she'll do it and give it her all!! Even if she seriously, super regrets it later! ]

Your eyes are, um... like jewels that sparkle in the... moon? P-Point is! I-I-I love you????

[ Kill her. Please. Just put her out of her misery. ]

[ meanwhile, as much as she likes competition and doesn't want to lose at anything, this kind of thing is out of her wheelhouse. at least, the confession part.

that said, playing a role is something she can do. the girl in front of her is cute and flustered, almost like how mikuru-chan gets. while she can feel a very tiny tug at her heartstrings, she's other wise stonefaced with her arms folded. ]

"Sparkle in the moon"? What is that? You're not even convincing yourself, so why should I be?

[ she's harsh, but she has to give concrete criticism! ]

Try it again. Have a little confidence in yourself!

I don't knowwwww...! The moon is supposed to be romantic or something, right?!

[ Not that she even gets what's supposed to be so romantic about it! It's just a big glowing rock in the sky! ]

I mean, in the first place, I haven't got the faintest idea what counts as a romantic compliment... but calling someone pretty is too simple, isn't it?!

To some, maybe. A full moon looks nice, but I don't think it makes jewels sparkle. For that matter, there isn't even a moon here.

[ calyx strikes again! ]

You're on the right track at least! A poetic simile is cheesy but can be very romantic.

I KEEP FORGETTING ABOUT THAT!! THAT'S WEIRD RIGHT!?

[ What is it about that dang flower that makes it keep slipping from people's minds?! ]

Aha... poetic, huh? I'm definitely not cut out for this...

[ Homegirl doesn't have a poetic bone in her body. ]

Edited 2026-03-19 20:59 (UTC)

Very weird! It makes you wonder how it manages the tides and trees and everything!

[ things she will have to find out off screen, because holy shit. ]

You could stick around the same lines. "Your beauty to me is as warm as the petals of the sky-flower". Or, "if only I could give you a bouquet the size of the sun."

That kinda thing wouldn't work on me, but someone else might melt for it!

Right?! How does it work?!

[ Except maybe she, a mage, shouldn't be questioning it?! Stuff like the moon's influence on the tides is in the realm of physics rather than the realm of mystery so as a mage it would make more sense for her to just roll with the punches here...

But it's a freaking flower in the sky that opens up when it's day and closes for night. Even in Faerie Britain, she never saw anything as bizarre as that!! ]

Guh...! I appreciate the help, but for some reason hearing you come up with lines like that so easily is destroying my pride...

[ And she doesn't have a whole lot of that! So be gentle with it! ]

U-Um, then... your beauty to me is as warm as the petals of the...

[ Putting aside the fact that her voice still gets unbearably stiff when she starts to say it, she pauses... ]

...sky-flower? Is that what it's called? I thought it was something else...

It is something else. I think Callus or Kallax or something... it's tricky to pronounce, so-- oh! Calyx. I think that's it.

[ rip ur pride tho, artoria ]

Mnnnnn.

[Well. She wasn't expecting to get a compliment like that, but... It feels a little flat.]

That one's not quite working. try... stars?

...Are stars more romantic?

[ She literally does not know. Though... honestly? She can see it more than the moon, though... ]

Ahh... I'm really not cut out for this...

I'm not sure if they're more romantic, but they are more sparkly.

or maybe. Like. the ocean sparkles? Or...

[She hums in thought.]

I've seen the way your eyes shine when we're working. The way you find solutions and I find new ways to make them happen. There's an elegance in it.

[... no lies detected!?]

Edited 2026-03-20 19:28 (UTC)

[ Artoria is probably not who comes to mind when you think of who would be good with taking care of birds. Someone with gentle hands, a calm disposition... or at the very least, not prone to sudden loud outbursts and foul language.

And yet, there's no doubt that she's here. Which can only mean disaster, surely! But... there's something different about her. She's wearing a regal white dress, there's a star pattern on her forehead, her hair seems to have gotten longer somehow, and her energy... her entire disposition, seems completely different. In fact, it seems to be ideal for this particular quest, as number of the younger birds have taken to her quite well. A decent number have perched atop her trademark staff, with her hand holding it perfectly steady for them. Not to mention the two who have each settled on either of her shoulders.

In fact, she's so popular it seems, that another bird has arrived to find a perch on her as well... but both shoulders are, unfortunately, taken. ]

Oh... I'm afraid you arrived a little late. Still, there's no need to worry.

[ She speaks with grace and dignity, lifting her free hand so that the bird can perch on her finger, so she can then lift it up to set it down on the top of her head. ]

There! Please, make yourself comfortable. You all have an important job ahead of you, after all, so you'll need your rest. I only ask that you don't make too much of a mess up there!

[ ...Who is this and what did she do with Artoria Caster??? ]

Edited 2026-03-19 08:36 (UTC)

...Artoria...?

[Who is this. Sure, Artoria gives off hella fairy tale princess vibes, but not like this. It's like someone replaced a nervous duckling with an elegant swan. Did she hit her head? Is she okay??]

Hm? Ah...

[ Well, this was bound to happen eventually if she came out. What can she say? She's content to let Caster have the wheel, but a girl still needs to stretch her legs every now and then, doesn't she? ]

Hello, Han Yoojin... or perhaps "gramps" would be more apt?

[ Said with such an elegant smile, it's hard to tell if she's being sarcastic or not... but she definitely is. Definitely Artoria, alright. ]

Uh... excuse me. Is this, like, a webnovel thing? Did you die in another world and reincarnate with the body and memories of your favorite fairy tale character? ...Miss.

[He feels like he should be using a higher level of honorifics, here. Even though she's still just this itty bitty little thing, the grace with which she moves and speaks is very much not what he's used to from this face.]

[ Oh Yoojin, please, that's a manhwa for another time. ]

Hehe...! You'd be surprised how close you technically are, but no. I'm the same Artoria as always, and you can feel free to use your skill to confirm it if you wish. That said, there's no need to tip-toe around it. I'm aware of how strange this must seem.

[ She rises to her feet, moving so smoothly that the birds perched atop her seem to barely even jostle despite the change. ]

Though we've met, it seems introductions are in order once again. I am Artoria Avalon... though you may also call me "AA" if you wish.

[ boy. what a time it's been to be kyoshika magadori. misunderstandings, both comedic and incredibly serious, all around. what's more, thanks to her inability to think straight, she failed in her mission the other night.

so, things haven't been great!

at least, she could rely on the birds to cheer her up. she would have to muster a bit of spirit, but she can do this! so, in she goes--

--to see. uh? a strange scene indeed. this certainly looked like the same woman, but... ]

...Lady Artoria? Is... that you?

[ did something good happen to her?? ]

[ She's a little surprised how quickly she's ended up running into Caster's friends. Well, she was never going to stay a secret forever, regardless of whether Caster said anything or not. ]

Oh... hello, Kyoshika. How do you do?

[ For once, calling her "Lady" Artoria finally seems entirely appropriate. Gone is the girl with a foul mouth and a tendency to get loud, right here is a woman carrying herself with grace and dignity. ]

...Hehe! Apologies, I don't mean to confuse you. Yes, it is me... but different, as you can clearly see.

[ kyoshika, really, is still fairly new to the concept of other people. she knows one girl who speaks with a form of nobility, and that usually comes with insults. to be referred to in such a gentle tone is so foreign to her.

especially the typically flustered and out of sorts artoria. ]

Y-yes, I am. Well. [ not so much, but what's she supposed to say now?? ]

Very different... did something happen to you?

[ Avalon giggles… she should probably explain herself to Kyoshika, but… ]

Hm… I suppose you could say that. What do you think happened, Kyoshika?

[ She’s allowed to mess around a bit, isn’t she? ]

[ she actually has to think about it. her first instinct fails her, so-- ]

You've been placed under a hypnotist's spell, and have become very saintly as a result.

[ first instinct: did you sneeze, artoria ]

Hehe...! Alas, hypnosis isn't quite so effective on me... but I'm flattered you think of me as "saintly".

[ Avalon le Fae have very well-protected minds, as it turns out. ]

My name is Artoria Avalon. You may call me "AA", if you wish. You have no need to worry, Caster and I are one and the same, and nothing untowards has happened to us. I fully intend to sit back and let her enjoy this place to the fullest...

[ Her lips curl upward a little more... ]

...But it's only fair that I get to have some fun every now and then, isn't it? Besides, I'm better suited to matters such as these, no?

[ Case and point, the twittering birds currently perched so comfortably on her person. ]

[ odd. obviously, kyoshika has nothing at all against artoria, and avalon-- AA, seems kind. the birds certainly have taken a liking to her! sir koenma looks so happy! ]

V...very well. A pleasure to meet you then, Lady AA. I was not aware she... or rather, you two shared a body. You do not sound as if you'll cause her any undue stress, so I believe this much should be okay.

[ oh! ]

That is not to say I have a say in the matter. I only speak for my own body, no one else's.

Mm... sharing a body, you say?

[ She hums... it's a little more complex than that, but... ]

...Yes, I suppose that will do for now. It's not entirely accurate, but it doesn't matter.

[ Information further than that would be a bit heavy to drop out of nowhere, after all. ]

Worry not. Undue stress to Caster would be undue stress to myself as well. I'm sure she will appreciate your concern. She is, after all, quite fond of you!

[Tsukasa probably also isn't who comes to mind when you think of taking care of birds or any other animal, but in her case it's more a matter of "does she even know what she's doing?" So it's a less surprising concept in the context of other people being around.

She doesn't initially even recognize the girl she ran into a while back, the vibes are so different.]

Wow, it looks like you're the favorite today.

Hm hm... you think so? I don't believe I'm doing anything particularly special, but...

[ She reaches a hand up to give one of the birds an affectionate scritch with her finger. ]

If they feel at peace with me, then I can hardly turn them away, no?

[ She smiles at Tsukasa... someone whose situation is perhaps more akin to her own than she realizes. Ah, but she isn't supposed to know that yet, is she? ]

[Tsukasa is, of course, totally unaware of who knows what spoilers.]

It kind of looks like you're going to have to start turning them away soon, though. You're running out of seating.

Yes... it's terribly unfortunate, isn't it? Try as I might, there's little I can do about my own size.

[ How truly tragic... fortunately, a solution may have very well just appeared, haven't they? ]

In that case, would you mind providing me some assistance?

Artoria Caster Catch-All | Budding

March 9th - 15th | Trinkets

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