Prologue: Wrapping my head around Spiritrons...
- Location
- SV's Only Complete Persona Quest
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] If an 'Assassin Jeeves' was in charge of the attendants, then she ought to find any non-combatant Servants in charge of the Museum or Library, they ought to know some things.
[X] About Spiritrons, the magic particles of data that made up the world of the Star-Cell
[X] About Spiritrons, the magic particles of data that made up the world of the Star-Cell
I had a hard time wrapping my head around Spiritrons, which is probably what made them stand out so much to me from the lecture. We were taught they're the essence of the soul, which… somehow allowed them to be used as computer data? It's not that Cainessa cared that much to slow down and explain more clearly for us. Anyway, entire worlds could apparently be made up of Spiritrons, including the Aquarius' 'Serial Phantasm' (Cainessa's term, she seemed more than reluctant to just say 'virtual reality') we were in now.
She then said another, older Spiritron World was created by the Moon-Cell, the Star-Cell's precursor. She talked quite highly of the Moon-Cell, one of the few things she ever talked highly about, going on to say that the Star-Cell was merely a man-made replica. I guess, I mean, it's not like any of us had the Moon-Cell here to judge. As for whether the Star-Cell being a replica of the Moon-Cell was the truth of the outside world… no, it couldn't be, Cainessa made clear she wouldn't just tell us that.
There in my room, one mostly identical to Sakura's, I did look over the oneirogen plants in my collection before I went to bed, that lecture having given me a thought. "Jasper?" I asked my valet, "I was thinking, maybe I could chance finding out more about the Moon-Cell by entering Cainessa's dreams? Except… no I couldn't."
"Why not? Sounds like a smart enough plan," Jasper said, "I wouldn't worry about the ethics of it, we are talking about someone who insulted your field of magic right to your face before you could even demonstrate it. I'd say it'd only be karmic for her."
Part of me was worried that Jasper only said that because he was programmed to agree with me, but if that was true, he really had to stretch to come to that conclusion. "Er, okay. But I'd still be magically spying on a potential enemy before the War properly begins, like just speaking practically, that could get me booted out before I summon anyone."
Jasper then smiled at me. "My liege, it shows the strength of your character, both moral and rational, that you'd even be debating this. I'm afraid most of the other players wouldn't have your foresight, they'd simply take any apparent advantage they could get," he said.
I smiled too hearing him compliment me, but did my words really win him over so quickly for him to change his tune like that? Plus, it just reminded me that other players would happily use those same underhanded tactics on me if they could.
My own dream that 'night' was a simple one, but still more a nightmare really. I was being shot out of an airlock into the depths of space, again simple but scary. While I was naturally trained to interpret such dreams, especially who could be sending them, I couldn't really nail down any definitive answer. A subliminal reminder by the Star-Cell of what the outside world could be? Me just having space on my mind after thinking about both Star- and Moon-Cells? Just me be all anxious about the upcoming War? Its simplicity at least made for an easy dream diary entry.
Sakura was quite generous in letting me recount my dream to her next morning, meeting again in the cafeteria. "Still, I don't think I'm qualified to give my own reading of it," she said, "My go-to response to nightmares is to just keep really busy and I hope I forget about them before long. Like, I had an unpleasant dream last night too, but you definitely had the scarier one."
"Er, do you want me to interpret that dream for you?" I asked, "Because I don't wanna make you recount anything you're not comfortable with, that helps nobody."
"Hey, it's fine. Bad dreams feel less bad if you have people to talk about them with. Okay, that's more a general rule," Sakura said, letting out a chuckle. "Mine was pretty simple too, nothing to do with space though, at least not 'outer'. Let's see, I was in this big fancy mansion, kinda like the Aquarius you could say, but there was barely any light and I was all alone. No maids or butlers, no family, no guests, nobody."
That one I again had to think over. True, most dreams I needed to think over, part of being an oneiromancer is realising just how complex they are. "My first thought was it could be a scene, a memory, from your avatar's life, though I kinda struggle imagining me having been an astronaut. You seem to have your mind set on a Servant, so it could be a scene from their life- No, you said your Servant was gonna be Roman, and a mansion like the Aquarius wouldn't look Roman. Hmm," I suddenly smirked, "Maybe 'cause Cainessa left us all in the dark with her lecture, that's how you feel after listening to her?"
Sakura had to grin hearing that. "Yeah, she sure did. In the dark, like my soul," she smirked as she quoted Blut.
Our joking around was interrupted though by what sounded like a confrontation. Two men were arguing about something by the door, one a more austere, grey military-looking type, the other a tanned, long-haired man who looked more like a sports star to me. It was hard to make out what they were saying exactly, with them being far enough away and the reverb in the room. Eventually the sports star type just groaned and walked away, the military type doing the same in the other direction.
Seeing we'd been staring right at him, the sports star walked right up to us. For a second I shuddered, fearing being reprimanded, but instead he sighed and said, "Sheesh, sorry you guys had to see that. Not one of my proudest moments."
"That's okay, happens to all of us," I said the first thing to come to mind.
Sakura however got lost in thought for a second, before she said, "Hold on, you're Felix de Carvalho, aren't you?"
Felix laughed, "Correctamundo, how'd you guess?"
"Oh, er, just a hunch," Sakura said, shrinking down a little, "Guess it'd be like, your aura, I mean your figurative one," she specified, "You fit what description I've heard, and you do kinda have the 'star power' presence you'd expect."
"Wow, I'm impressed. You're more analytical than you give yourself credit for. Don't you agree?" Felix then said, suddenly turning to talk to what looked like air. Unless…
"You've already summoned your Servant?" I asked on instinct, as I thought he couldn't just be talking to nothing.
"Correct again. Normally I'd introduce you, helps he's the social type, but y'know, I'm kinda not allowed to till prelims are over. Them's the rules," Felix said. He then looked downcast for a second, going against his usual nature. "Yep, figured out the 'truth of the outside world' alright. Normally I'd just tell you what it is, but thing is… I kinda can't. Like, I don't think the Star-Cell counts it if you're told, it's something you're 'sposed to figure out on your own. Dumb I know, but again, them's the rules."
Sakura first mumbled, "Should've known," but then said, "Oh, that reminds me. How many of those 'non-combatant Servants' do you think are around? Like you said, they can't tell me, but I thought they could at least give me an idea about the outside world."
Felix shrugged. "Probably a question better suited to the Overseer, but I'll do my best to answer. Let's see, you'd already have heard about Jeeves, then you've got Caster Jafar running the Library. Hey, don't let his rep turn you off him- oh yeah, and I'm not spoiling anything by telling you his name. He's an administrative Servant, he's required to give it out. Then, ooh boy, we've got Luisa Casati running the Museum. Guess she's qualified, they say her old house became a super-famous museum itself, but boy, imagine summoning a Berserker to run a museum. There's also Gatekeeper, not anyone you'd have met yet, but you'll know him when you see him. I'm a little hazy beyond that, like I know there's a Servant running a betting racket, but yeesh, I try staying away from that stuff. Also know there's a 'scenario writer' on hand, and oh yeah, Metatron."
That name sure stood out. "The Metatron? But isn't he an angel?" I asked.
"Oh, he was human at one point, which I guess lets him in here. He's the ultimate record-keeper of this Holy Grail War, super-important guy, but not easy to get in contact with. Like, they say even our library and museum are nothing compared to all he knows and sees. Good thing we don't have to fight him, eh?" Felix finished.
Sakura just smiled at that remark, if shivered a little, before she stood up to say, "Well, I oughta meet with this Jafar and even Casati. They could help me out, and besides, I owe it to them for using their Library and Museum, the ones they've been assigned anyway, so casually. Thanks for the info."
"Hey, anytime," Felix said, but then added, "Oh yeah, one more thing. That guy I got into an argument with? That's Stathis Smaragdis, he's one of those players I just can't stand, all serious business y'know. Still, much as I don't wanna hand it to him, he's looking to be a serious contender, so watch out for him."
Both Sakura and I nodded. But still, was the Grail War something worth just taking casually? That kinda didn't add up…
Sakura headed first to the Library, given it was closer. Unsure how to exactly go about speaking with Jafar, she just went up to the front desk and asked, "Hi, er, could I please speak with the head librarian?"
There was some muttering behind the counter, but soon some nearby bookcases parted and rearranged themselves like a great unfolding curtain as the first Servant Sakura had seen walked out. The Caster class she'd been told, so that generally meant he was a mage himself, in function at least. A sceptre-carrying Iranian man in royal robes, he opened with a groan, "What is it? Some administrative error, can't find a book, fight started up? Just get this over with."
Sakura stiffened a little, knowing she was actually talking to a Middle Eastern magus right out of a storybook. She immediately bowed and said, "Ah, no, everything's fine, last I checked. I just thought with prelims almost over and me being a Master, I should really get to know all the Servants that have already been summoned. Well, publicly anyway. Er, anyway, I'm Tohsaka Sakura."
"Seriously, I got called out here for that?" Jafar said, but properly introduced himself anyway, "Ja'far ibn Yahya al-Barmaki." With Sakura not quite recognising the name, he then flat-out said, "Grand Vizier Jafar."
"W-wow, that is… something," she said. Having established her limited historical knowledge, she asked, "From the 1,001 Nights and those movies? So the Star-Cell really can summon fictional characters?"
"The Star-Cell holds the collective records of Earth, and those happen to include every work of fiction eve made. So yes, that's well within its capabilities, that a 'Jeeves' is walking around right now should've made that obvious. However," Jafar then said, "I am without a doubt historical, much as the world of fiction would dare try claim me. Anyway, is that all?"
This wasn't the behaviour one would expect from a Grand Vizier, less Machiavellian and more just fed up in general. Still, Sakura asked, "I know you can't just tell me, but well, I was also hoping for a hint about the truth of the-"
"-Outside World?" Jafar finished for her, "You've met the Overseer at least, didn't she at least give you that clue about the Aquarius' name? Alright, if one requires assistance, I suppose that is my task. Miss Tohsaka, you'll note how earlier I had to specify 'Earth'. Do keep that in mind."
With Jafar departing, it was Beryl who turned to Sakura and said, "I suppose I should've given you a heads up. This was my first time meeting Jafar too, but Jeeves already warned me he could be on the prickly side."
"No, it's okay," Sakura said, "Like, I don't think he was just annoyed or anything. The impression I got was more, well, that something was weighing heavily on his mind, like he'd been through a lot."
"…I suppose that may be," Beryl just said to that.
Upon heading to the Museum to meet with its curator, this Luisa Casati, Jafar now definitely seemed the preferable sort. "My, what an unremarkable girl," the gothic redhead Casati said of Sakura before Sakura got a chance to say anything, "Tell me, do you honestly see yourself as Master material with fashion sense as plain as yours. You lack style, darling, true flair. That Mikoto for instance at least dresses up for the occasion, and that Cainessa, well her dark coat, pale-like, and bone-like visage at least makes an impression."
A flustered Sakura just said, "Hey, l-look, I didn't come here for fashion advice or whatever!"
"Then what on 'Earth' did you come here for?" Casati sighed, "Some asinine question about the outside world? Dear girl, if you have to ask, you'll never know." She then however examined Sakura more closely, before she beamed, "Still, such plainness does mean you could be the perfect scaffold to be redesigned through my vision. The 'girl next door' look is so trite, I'm picturing something far more daring, more unconventional."
Beryl had to step in. "Thank you, but my mistress' outfitting is mine to oversee," she said.
Casati's face scrunched up, before she sighed and said, "Suit your own miserable selves. Just remember, true art is for the bold."
"Wait, you're a Berserker, aren't you?" Sakura then asked, "Sorry, but it's just seems like a weird Servant to summon as a non-combatant, especially as a curator."
"Hmph, what reason the Star-cell may have for summoning one of my Class, I truly couldn't care. All I know is I'd be dead bored summoned as almost any other class, Berserker and Avenger are the only ones based upon actual emotions, after all," was the answer Casati genuinely gave, "not simply on whether one has a sharpened stick or a longer sharpened stick."
It was then Sakura went deep in thought, before she thought to ask Casati, "About this museum. I know it's the only one world like it inside the Star-Cell, but… is it the only one like it, period? Does even the outside world have a place like this?"
Casati laughed at that, "There is no collection in existence like the one run by me! So yes."
Sakura then formed a grin. "In that case, between words like 'Aquarius' and singling out 'Earth', and hearing Yakumo dream of falling out an airlock, I… I don't wanna lock in my answer right now, but I think I've got an idea what the outside world's really like."
"You do?" Beryl had to ask.
"Hmhm, well then, no harm in hearing it," Casati grinned, seemingly actually amused by something again.
"Okay. Again, don't know for sure, but I think we're-
[ ] -deep underground, in a virtual simulation in a fallout bunker."
[ ] -in space, because something real bad's happened to Earth."
[ ] -in a bunch of pods, being projected backwards in time."
[ ] ...Sorry, spoke too soon. I still can't say."
[ ] Write-in
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