#The Silver Knight (Ilya) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

votestaynight2 · 1 year ago

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10th Day - darkwood,sleepingbeauty(Scene 3)

I'll protect Ilya. I can't try to save two people. Tohsaka has Archer, but Ilya has no one. Then… I have to take Berserker's place――――!

"Get down, Ilya…!" I tackle Ilya, forcing her to the ground. And the instant I cover her body with my own… My vision and perception is filled with black.

"Oh――――"

It's hot.

My body is almost blown away. The condensed and released wave of magical energy rages through the forest as a storm.

It's not there.

My vision is painted black. If it's this dark even though I can clearly see, a black sun must have come falling down.

My body's not there.

It probably melted from the heat. My body's not there. The loss of my sense of touch is more disgusting than the pain.

"Ha――――ah――――ah――――" But that's a problem. I can't protect Ilya unless I have a body. The black shadow tries to take Ilya. I flail my right arm to drive it off. Embracing her with that same arm, I press her to the ground.

"Ha――――ah." And I finally realize. My body's there. My body must be there, or else I couldn't have protected Ilya. …Man, I panicked too much. All I lost was my left arm. That's the only part of me that vanished without trace. The rest of my body is still there.

…But I still have the sense of loss. I only lost one of the two. But it feels like I lost my whole body.

"――――――――" …It's disappearing. The shadow fades away without trace, its energy spent.

…Ilya's safe. My ears must be numb, as I can't hear what she's saying.

What… happened to Tohsaka? Archer is… there. His red cloak is painted a deeper red, and he's so weakened that he might disappear in the next second.

…How strange. Why is she here?

"――――Have you gone mad? If you do such a thing, you will…" "I do not even need to think about it. Two will disappear if I do nothing, but one can be saved if we transplant it. …This body is almost dead anyway. If I am to disappear, it will not make a difference even if my arm is cut off."

Archer and Rider are talking.

…What the hell is going on? And in the end… "One would normally die. One cannot survive after attaching a spirit body to the human body. But the boy and I are an exception. Rin should treat him appropriately once she wakes up." He tenderly runs his fingers through Tohsaka's hair.

――――My vision fades to black. The dark sun no longer shines on the forest. Then… The darkness must be falling on my consciousness. "――――So this is it. Farewell, Tohsaka." Archer bids farewell in a voice that sounds just like mine.

Interlude 10-3

The shadow wavers. The red knight is covered in blood, and Tohsaka Rin is sitting on the ground, dumbfounded. About five meters away from them stand the silver-haired girl and Emiya Shirou, hand in hand.

…The shadow wavers. After shrinking like a dead tree, the shadow expands like a blowfish. No, its poisonous nature is like an uglier deep-sea fish. The expansion continues without limit, swelling outward and dyeing the forest black.

――――At that instant. The red knight dies protecting Tohsaka Rin, and Emiya Shirou survives by pure luck. It is fortunate that the ground is uneven. The expanding shadow passes over Emiya Shirou, who is in a hollow pit. But his left arm is above its rim, unable to share in that fortune―――

"――――!" She wakes up. It's been half a day since she sent Rider to guard Shirou. Matou Sakura, who shared vision with her Servant to follow the situation without ever leaving the house, is brought back to reality with that scene.

"Haa――――ah, uh……!"

She feels like vomiting. Her vision is blurred as if she had lost it, because she cut the shared vision off by force. Her body is sweating, and as soon as she breathes――― "Ugh… ha, ahh……!" What's in her stomach rises up to her throat.

She runs into the dressing room. She's covering her mouth with her hands, and as soon as she gets to the sink… "Uh, ugh, uh…!" She vomits out everything in her stomach.

"――――Oh." She stands there with her head down, shoulders heaving. Her long hair flutters like a curtain, hiding her face from the mirror.

"……No way. Senpai's arm…" She recalls the nightmare. …There's no mistake about the vision. Emiya Shirou lost his left arm while protecting the silver-haired girl. It melted away without trace from the shoulder down.

"――――What have I…" Sakura masochistically yells at herself for considering such a thing. She feels a chill and a strange uplift, not able to think about what happened and what she should do. All she knows is that she hates herself. …She previously got the idea that… If Emiya Shirou were injured to a point where he wouldn't be able to go outside, he would not be in danger anymore.

"No… That was all wrong." Yes, she was wrong. It will not solve anything. Was it simply carelessness that made her wish for him to be hurt? Now he has been wounded, regardless of her wishes. Not a wound that will keep him indoors, but one that threatens his very life.

There's no difference between the two. That's what it means to be injured. Why did she think that a misfortune to lose a part of one's body is a good thing?

"Ugh――――ah, uh…….!" The nausea does not go away. She does not stop vomiting even after throwing up everything. Gastric juice and blood. She thinks that the sharp pain in her stomach and the scratch on her throat is like a punishment to condemn her.

…And after a while… Her nausea finally goes away when the gastric juice runs out, and she regains her composure. She breathes heavily. Her shoulders are moving up and down painfully. She puts her hands on the sink and tries to calm down, as if she's just finished running a marathon. "―――But Senpai can't fight anymore." In a trance, she speaks her true feelings.

A short murmur. Still breathing heavily, she raises her head. The figure in the mirror is crushed by a feeling of guilt. The apologetic expression is caused by her worry for Emiya Shirou's well-being. She truly wishes for his safety. The mirror reflects a face with a crooked smile.

End of Interlude

――――It's hot.

I'm trapped in a sultry stone room. The heat radiating from my shoulder is like a plague of microscopic bugs eating my cells. My shoulder. The place where my arm used to be is covered with honey, and ants are swarming on it so it looks like a carpet.

――――――It's hot.

My body is burning from within. This isn't like a sultry stone room, but more like a sealed frying pan. I hear the sound of something burning and realize that I've been scorched black.

――――――――――It's hot.

The heat melts my mind, leaving my body untouched. Slowly and fiercely. It burns through my genes as if trying to overwrite them.

…Is this nightmare finally coming to an end?

――――――――――――It's hot.

The hole is sealed so that the ants cannot escape. ――――It's hot. ――――It's hot. ――――It's hot. ――――It's hot. ――――It's hot, it's hot, it's hot, it's hot……!!!!!

The hole is in my shoulder. I don't know why, but my missing left arm became a gateway, allowing the ants to flood into my body. And the entrance――――the hole to let them out is sealed with flesh that's not mine――――!

It's changing. It's changing to something I don't know. It's coming in. Knowledge I shouldn't have is flowing into me. It is his battle experience and battle information.

"Ha――――ah, gah――――!"

This is his Noble Phantasm. It's not the pair of swords. Kanshou and Bakuya. Favoring the treasured swords made by an ancient blacksmith, he himself was a blacksmith heroic spirit.

That's why he creates. He duplicates everything he sees and understands. No. It is not duplication, but projection. A unique magic that reproduces the real thing using an image in the caster's mind. And―――the heat burning my mind tells me to manage this skill.

"Haa――――ahh, ah――――!"

Don't kid me. That's impossible. It won't fit. I don't know about projection. I'm not at that level yet. Cutting corners like this will destroy my body. First of all, I have my hands full with myself. I can't memorize or use someone else's ability. I don't have the needed power to begin with, and we're strangers with no connection, so there's no way it will become familiar with my body. No, I won't be able to bear it even if it becomes familiar with my body. You can't put time out of order or destroy the regularity. Even if you help me, I don't have the skills to handle it―――― "――――――――" …My consciousness slowly returns. I'm sleeping on an unfamiliar bed in an unknown room.

"…Huh…?" I raise my body. I think――――I met Saber at the forest, ran away with Tohsaka, and Ilya―――― "……" Our eyes meet. Ilya is beside the bed, staring at me with blank amazement.

"――――I see. So you're all right." I sigh with relief. I don't get the situation, but I'm glad Ilya's all right.

"Oh, good! You're awake, Shirou!" "Huh――――wait, Ilya…!" Ilya charges at me.

"Whoa." "I'm glad… I'm so glad, Shirou…!" Hugging me, she buries her face in my chest and repeats herself over and over.

"――――――――" …Man. I don't get what's going on, but I can't do anything if she's crying like this.

"Does your wound hurt? I'll make him put on another one if you think it's slightly strange!" "……? Oh, it doesn't hurt anywhere. More importantly, can you explain to me what happened after th――――" As I speak… "Gih――――!?"

I feel like a long knife is thrust into me.

"Ha――――gih, guh――――!" Unable to bear the pain, I tear at my chest with my right hand.

"Shirou…!? Calm down! Don't try to bear it, but try to repress your left arm…!" "Oh――――left… arm…?" ……I don't quite get it. I don't, but I want to escape this pain as quickly as possible.

"――――Haa――――Haa, ha――――ah." …I relax my mind. Once I start meditating, I quickly understand which part of me is abnormal. I can control it more or less if I know the origin of the pain. I just need to create a barrier so that the foreign substance can't enter my body.

"――――Phew. I'm fine now, Ilya." "Yeah, I can tell. I wondered what'd happen, but they don't seem to reject each other, at the very least." "……?" It seems like Ilya knows what's causing the pain.

"……Hm?" I look at myself and notice that I'm wearing big hospital clothes. …No, these are more like restraints. All I can move is my right arm. Everything else is firmly belted down, and I can't take them off myself.

"What are these? Why am I wearing something like this, Ilya?" "U-Um… that's…" Ilya looks away awkwardly. "I shall explain the rest, Emiya Shirou." …Then. A person I really don't want to see appears.

"She has recovered as well. All I need to do here is to explain the situation, so leave if you have no business." "…Hah, yeah right. I'm going to leave with Shirou. There isn't a problem even if I'm here if you're not going to do anything, right?"

"I see, there certainly is no problem. But I would like to keep the explanation short. If you will not interrupt, go sit in the corner quietly." "All right, I guess I'll do so." Ilya passes Kotomine and walks to the wall.

"――――Well. I shall answer your question before I explain the situation. Do not be too surprised, Emiya Shirou." Kotomine reaches out. He unbuckles the belts and removes the coverings.

"Wha――――" The arm there is not Emiya Shirou's arm.

I can tell even through the wrapped cloth. …My left arm is not part of my body. It is a foreign substance that should not be there, attached by opposing the natural Providence.

"Kotomine, this is…" "It is Archer's left arm. In accordance with Archer's wish, I have transplanted it from his corpse."

"Archer's wish…? Wait, did you say corpse?" "He disappeared after the transplant was completed. He was almost dead when he was carried here, but surprisingly, he endured until the operation ended. It must be because of his capacity for independent action."

"………" Archer has been eliminated. Then the remaining Servants are Zouken's Assassin, Sakura's Rider, and…

…No. I don't think I can call her a Servant anymore.

"…Hold on. Archer disappeared, right? Then isn't it weird that his arm's still here?"

"His left arm would have disappeared too if he disappeared before the transplant was completed. But that has been cut and planted to your body while Archer was still in this world. It is a part of a heroic spirit that has been connected to your Magic Circuit, and it stays in this world using your magical energy. …It has become a part of your body after the transplant was completed. The left arm will remain even if Archer disappears after that. That left arm is already yours now."

"Then… this is really his arm?" "Yes. You two would have died in your conditions. Archer lost the core that anchored him in this world, while you lost your arm in a mortal wound. Fortunately, Archer did not have many physical wounds, so he saved your life by offering you his body."

"――――――――" …The left arm that melted. The heat that violated my mind, and this left arm that is not mine. Everything tells me that the event in that forest really did happen. ――――I fell in that forest. And I was saved by Archer after that.

"…But is it even possible to transplant a Servant's body onto a human's?" "It's possible to just connect them. Spiritual doctors are said to heal the soul and not the body. I guess this priest here is the real thing, in contrast to his looks."

"I accept your compliment, but this is nothing to celebrate. Joining two separate spiritual bodies is forbidden magic. It cannot succeed. Spiritual bodies… resurrection and restoration of souls are divine mysteries that cannot be handled with magic. That is why I thought I only succeeded in shape, and expected him to die of shock, but――――"

"…Shirou and Archer are a special case. I found out earlier that he would pull through if the connection was made."

"…?" Ilya looks away and lets her eyes wander sadly.

"Oh. Well, I do not know why. All I know is that you two were suited for each other. I was surprised when I started the operation. Even twin brothers would not look this alike." "――――――――" I flex my left arm to test his words.

…I don't feel anything. I don't even feel pain. It's like a lump of dead meat. It doesn't move, no matter what I do. It's like a hand numbed by loss of circulation. The sensation of a part of my body not moving brings mental fear rather than physical pain.

…The left arm is just a piece of metal. One might feel constricted like this if one became a tin man.

"…It doesn't move at all. Was the operation really successful?" "Do not wish for such an excessive thing. That is all it can do right after connecting it. It shall familiarize with your body in a few days. I told you earlier, but you two are compatible. At this rate, it should heal well enough to give you no trouble in leading an ordinary life."

"But be warned. I am only saying that the Magic Circuits are compatible. No matter how suited you may be to his arm, this arm is the arm of a heroic spirit, something a human cannot handle. No, it is more like a weapon than an arm. It is powerful, but it will swallow you if you use it." "―――Does that mean I'll self-destruct?"

"Of course. If a human like you uses the arm of a heroic spirit, your body will be consumed by Archer's arm. No, the term blown away is more accurate."

"Your body is spiritually far inferior to Archer's arm. Archer's Magic Circuit will be activated if you use that arm even once. At that time―――your body will be unable to withstand Archer's magic, and it will break down. Look, it is not that your lifespan is shortened with each use. The time bomb in you will be turned on once you use it."

"――――――――" …What is that? In short, that means I'll certainly die if I try to do what Archer does even once. "……Then this cloth is for that reason…?"

"Yes, it is a seal. The Magic Circuit in your left arm will not be activated as long as you keep it on. Your arm is treated as a different object even if you use magic. But do not let your guard down. Magical energy flows through your body even if you do not use any magic. Pain will assail your arm as it reacts and tries to activate. Your left arm is covered with the Shroud of Martin to prevent that. It should be able to suppress the infringement from your left arm to a certain extent as long as you keep it on."

"Hold on. To a certain extent? That means…"

"It cannot completely suppress your arm. …Yes, you will be consumed by Archer's arm whether you use it or not. If you want to live to old age, become a great enough magus to match the arm. You should then be able to seal your arm without the shroud."

"I estimate it will be about ten years before the arm consumes you. You have that much time. You can become a master magus and control your arm, or you can fail and be consumed. It is not an imminent threat."

"……" This is like I was remodeled without my knowing. …But it's no use complaining. I would've died in that forest. Transplanting Archer's arm was the only way to save my life, so complaining would mean I don't want to live.

"――――I understand. Let me thank you. …You did another favor for me. Could you please pray that it doesn't happen a fourth time?" "I suppose I do not need to worry if you can talk like that. Then go outside. Rin is waiting for you in the chapel."

Kotomine heads to the door. I get off from the bed and put on the prepared jacket. I can't move my left hand, so I just drape it over my shoulder.

"Okay, it won't hurt if I keep my guard up. Let's go, Ilya." "Oh… yeah, I'm coming."

…I exit and find myself in the courtyard. The sky is dark, and it's already nighttime.

"I forgot to tell you, but you can easily take off that Shroud. The choice is always yours. You are free to use Archer's power, but your survival will not be guaranteed. Do your best with that in mind."

Tohsaka glares at me as soon as I enter the chapel. …I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I'm relieved to know she's all right.

"Well. Everyone is treated now. Emiya Shirou's arm has been transplanted, and Rin's poison is purified. Is there anything else you require of me?" "……Of course not. You might claim our lives as collateral if you do us any more favors."

"I see. Then we shall be parting here, but let me ask as the supervisor. What are you going to do now, Rin? The Holy Grail War is a failure now. The outcome is practically decided already, as most of the remaining Masters do not have Servants."

Tohsaka shuts her mouth. …The match is pretty much decided, just like Kotomine said. The only Masters with Servants are Zouken and Sakura. …Ordinarily the last two standing would fight, but Sakura cannot oppose Zouken. Looking at it that way, it's already over.

"Matou Zouken will either recapture Matou Sakura or kill her. It will be difficult to stop him, and you are under no obligation to do so. There is no benefit to kill Zouken." "Oh, is that because Masters without their Servants can't obtain the Holy Grail?"

"Right. That is why there is no reason to fight. Any more battle is meaningless. You would be wise to stay in your mansion and wait until the war is over." "―――Thanks for the warning. But I'm not going to forfeit."

"―――I'm surprised. So you cannot give up the Holy Grail?" "Of course not. I'm still a Master, even if I lost my Servant. Don't assume that I'm going to forfeit just because I'm alone now."

"Oh. I see, you are certainly right. There is one other who shamelessly stayed on the battlefield after losing his Servant. So you cannot give up easily."

"――――Heh, Shirou has nothing to do with this. This is my decision. I haven't given up yet, and I don't intend to let Zouken win. Neither of those will save her."

"Tohsaka." I open my eyes wide and look at Tohsaka.

"W-Why do you look so happy? I-I didn't copy you, okay? I'm not giving up because I think I still have a chance of winning. I'm not like you, staying in it even when I don't have any chance." "―――Yeah, I thought so. That's what I expected from you, Tohsaka."

"……That's annoying in a way too, but it's fine if you understand." She looks away.

Tohsaka doesn't want to give the Holy Grail to Zouken not because of her sense of justice. Sakura cannot be saved if Zouken wins. If we want to save Sakura, Sakura has to obtain the Holy Grail―――or else someone who wants to save her has to claim it.

That's why Tohsaka said she or Sakura has to win. That's the only reason she's fighting against Matou Zouken. Tohsaka cannot obtain the Holy Grail anymore, but is still wanting to save Sakura, her younger sister.

"Hm. So what about you, Emiya Shirou? Will you not give up the Holy Grail, just like Rin?" "No, I won't stop fighting. I have my goals too. I won't let Zouken do as he wishes."

"…I see. I shall not stop you if you want to fight. There is a hopeless difference in your powers, but Matou Zouken is a weak person. I am sure you can devise some plan."

"…………" "…………" We look at each other silently.

…Some plan, huh? I can't come up with one by myself, but with Tohsaka, we just might figure out how to beat the old man―――

Our conversation ends. The treatment is over, so Kotomine requests that we leave, as we are not asking for protection here.

"―――I'm leaving even if you don't tell me to. Hey, do you have a place to go, Ilya?" "…? I still have my castle, and Sella and Leysritt will come if I call to them, so I still have a place to go back to. …Why are you asking such a thing?"

"Well, it's dangerous to be by yourself, right? I want you to stay at my place if you don't mind. I think that's more convenient too." "I don't mind, but I have to refuse. That woman is at your place." Then. Ilya answers me in a weird way.

"…?" I stare at Tohsaka because I don't understand what she means by "I don't mind, but I won't go". Oh, she looks like she doesn't want to interfere.

"Oh. So you chose Matou Sakura, Emiya Shirou." "…Kotomine?"

"I do not mind taking care of Ilyasviel. Even if she goes back to her castle, Matou Zouken will only kidnap her." "I refuse. I'm taking Ilya." "No way. I'm borrowing Ilya." "I'm sorry, but I can choose where I want to go."

"……… That is unfortunate. So Ilyasviel is to stay at the Tohsaka household?" "D-Don't say such a stupid thing…! The Master of Einzbern will not go to Tohsaka's house!"

"Okay. Then where are you going to go? You'll have to go back to your castle if you don't want to stay at the church, my house, or Shirou's place."

"I know. That place is my workshop, so I won't go into the care of another Master. I'm going to do things myself even without Berserker."

"Oh, I thought so. You almost killed Shirou once, but he came and saved you in spite of that. But you don't feel any appreciation and you're going back to your castle, huh? Did you hear that, Emiya-kun? After all you've done for her, she still hates you. She says she doesn't want to stay in that tiny house of yours."

"W-What are you saying, Rin!? I never said anything like that――――" "You are saying it. You're not going to Emiya-kun's place because he's unreliable, right? You're saying you're going bacͫ to your castle where you can feel safe."

"…That's true… But I'm going back to my castle because I have to get away from Shirou――――" "Huh? Oh, I see. So him being reliable doesn't matter because you hate him, huh? Well, why didn't you say that in the first place?" Tohsaka calmly criticizes Ilya.

"――――Oh." This is bad. Just as I'm worrying that this will turn bloody…

"T-That's not true! I never said I don't want Shirou! It's something else that I don't like…!" "――――Hear that? You're really popular, Emiya-kun." Tohsaka smiles gently, and Ilya glares at her with vexation.

"…………" …Um. So whose house is Ilya going to…?

In the end, Ilya will be coming to my house. Tohsaka and Ilya leave the chapel, arguing. I guess I can say they're getting along.

"――――――――" …Our conversation is over. It's our problem now, so there's nothing to talk about with Kotomine.

I follow after them and leave the chapel. But then… "Do not forget, Emiya Shirou. That body of yours will no longer permit you to fight." The priest gives his usual warning.

"That's not true. It's just that I can't use my left arm. I can still fight." "I see. By the way, how is Matou Sakura's condition?" "Sakura's condition…?"

…That's a bit unexpected. I thought he was going to make more sarcastic remarks, so why is he suddenly concerned about how Sakura's doing?

"What's going on? What good would it do for you to care about Sakura?"

"It seems you do not understand. I am talking about your body. Look, Emiya Shirou. Your body is in critical condition, but Matou Sakura is carrying a more dangerous bomb. You will be safe if you do not fight, but she is breaking down with each passing second. That is why you cannot stop fighting, even though you know fighting will only bring you closer to death."

"………" "Emiya Shirou has to fight if you are to save Matou Sakura. But now, fighting is like committing suicide for you. Therefore―――you must understand that saving Matou Sakura means killing yourself."

"……So what? That doesn't concern you at all." I chose to save Sakura. I won't back out on my oath, no matter what happens to my body.

"I see. A devotion to offer your life is beautiful. But is that woman truly so valuable to you?" "What…?"

"This is your last warning, Emiya Shirou. To save a life is to satisfy one's desire. If you would like to keep Matou Sakura alive―――do not forget this until the very end."

"……" I go outside. Tohsaka and Ilya are waiting for me there. Ilya is looking up at the sky, and Tohsaka is glaring at me like she wants to complain.

"You're late! What were you talking with Kotomine about, Shirou?" "Well, it was just his usual criticism――――"

More importantly, there's something that's on my mind, but I don't know if I should bring it up. …Tohsaka. Are you calling me by my first name now…?

"…Hmph, fine. We're short on time, so I'll get right to the point. This is a serious matter, and we don't have much chance of winning if we go our separate ways. I'll forgive you for what you did yesterday, so you'd better be grateful."

Her manner is pompous, but her words are even more so. …Um, it's hard to understand, but what Tohsaka wants to say is…

"Tohsaka. Does that mean…" "Yeah, I'm saying we can cooperate! First of all, you're unreliable. We're both out to defeat Zouken, so I can cooperate with you!"

Tohsaka continues angrily. "――――――――" It feels like I'm hit in the head with a hammer. The sudden request is a great fortune.

"O―――Oh, thank you! I owe you, Tohsaka! There's no greater help than having you on my side…!"

I take Tohsaka's hand and shake it up and down. This is troubling. I know I'm being too happy, but I can't stop myself.

"Hey, I understand! You don't have to thank me, so hold on…!" Tohsaka retreats quickly. …Then. I don't know why, but she looks at my left arm.

"…Let me ask you beforehand. You do know whose arm that is, right?" "…?" I nod, since it's a matter of course.

Tohsaka then takes a deep breath. "Then you're my Servant from now on, Shirou. You were saved thanks to my Servant, so that's natural, right?" …And makes a ridiculous demand.

"Wha―――――" "―――――What?" I'm really lost. I try to figure out what Tohsaka means.

"W-What are you saying…!? It's stupid to claim his ownership just because of something like that!" Yes. Ilya can be reasonable, after all.

"First of all, you're completely missing the point. Shirou is mine, so there's no

way he can be yours!" …I see. So she's missing the point too.

"Hey, you're the one talking big. Do you think Shirou is yours because you spared him once? Then that goes for me as well. I was so angry when I met him at school that I almost went berserk myself."

"That's just because you're immature. I spared him every day, so Shirou's life is obviously mine. I can choose to keep him alive or not, and you have nothing to do with this, so stay out of this."

"I have nothing to do with this…? Don't take me so lightly! I can't concern myself this much if I have nothing to do with this…! Archer entrusted me with him, so I'm going to take responsibility and make sure he stays alive!"

I can almost hear their teeth grinding as they glower at each other. "……" I wait for it to end. …Well. It's going to be troublesome, no matter who wins.

""So, which one is it!?""

It seems they've realized that fighting solves nothing, so they've chosen me to make the final decision.

"What do you mean 'which'?" "So whose Servant are you? I haven't heard your answer yet, so it's best to clarify it now."

"Yeah. Rin doesn't seem to realize you don't want her, so you have to be clear. Come on, say it. You're mine, right?"

"……" I don't need to think about it. The one who has the right to order me around is――――

#votestaynight

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brookstonalmanac · 2 years ago

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Events 3.26

590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1021 – On the feast of Eid al-Adha, the death of the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, kept secret for six weeks, is announced, along with the succession of his son, al-Zahir li-i'zaz Din Allah. On the same day, al-Hakim's designated heir, Abd al-Rahim ibn Ilyas, is arrested in Damascus and brought to Egypt. 1027 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. 1169 – Saladin becomes the emir of Egypt. 1344 – The Siege of Algeciras, one of the first European military engagements where gunpowder was used, comes to an end. 1351 – Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English knights. 1484 – William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop's Fables. 1552 – Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh guru. 1636 – Utrecht University is founded in the Netherlands. 1640 – The Royal Academy of Turku, the first university of Finland, is founded in the city of Turku by Queen Christina of Sweden at the proposal of Count Per Brahe. 1651 – Silver-loaded Spanish ship San José is pushed south by strong winds, subsequently it wrecks in the coast of southern Chile and its surviving crew is killed by indigenous Cuncos. 1697 – Safavid government troops take control of Basra. 1700 – William Dampier is the first European to circumnavigate New Britain, discovering it is an island (which he names Nova Britannia) rather than part of New Guinea. 1812 – An earthquake devastates Caracas, Venezuela. 1812 – A political cartoon in the Boston Gazette coins the term "gerrymander" to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection. 1830 – The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York. 1839 – The first Henley Royal Regatta is held. 1871 – The elections of Commune council of the Paris Commune are held. 1885 – The Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel begin the North-West Rebellion against Canada. 1896 – An explosion at the Brunner Mine near Greymouth, New Zealand kills 65 coal miners in the country's worst industrial accident. 1913 – First Balkan War: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople. 1915 – The Vancouver Millionaires win the 1915 Stanley Cup Finals, the first championship played between the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the National Hockey Association. 1917 – World War I: First Battle of Gaza: British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance. 1922 – The German Social Democratic Party is founded in Poland. 1931 – Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland. 1931 – Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is founded in Vietnam. 1934 – The United Kingdom driving test is introduced. 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war. 1942 – World War II: The first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland. 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ends as the island is officially secured by American forces. 1954 – Nuclear weapons testing: The Romeo shot of Operation Castle is detonated at Bikini Atoll. Yield: 11 megatons. 1958 – The United States Army launches Explorer 3. 1958 – The African Regroupment Party is launched at a meeting in Paris. 1967 – Ten thousand people gather for one of many Central Park be-ins in New York City. 1970 – South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy. 1971 – East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Liberation War begins. 1975 – The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force. 1979 – Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt–Israel peace treaty in Washington, D.C. 1981 – Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party. 1982 – A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C. 1991 – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market. 1997 – Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven's Gate mass suicides. 1998 – During the Algerian Civil War, the Oued Bouaicha massacre sees fifty-two people, mostly infants, killed with axes and knives. 2005 – Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China. 2010 – The South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan is torpedoed, killing 46 sailors. After an international investigation, the President of the United Nations Security Council blames North Korea. 2017 – Russia-wide anti-corruption protests in 99 cities. The Levada Center survey showed that 38% of surveyed Russians supported protests and that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption.

#Events

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mbruben-stein · 4 years ago

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list of things I write and take requests for.

list of things I will write:

Scenarios.

Headcanons / HC (I only do four to seven characters.)

Boyfriend Scenarios.

Girlfriend Scenarios.

Dating would Include.

Match-up.

Soulmate.

Love stories

X Reader.

x pregnant character or reader.

Character X Character.

X They/Them reader.

X Male Reader

X Female Reader

Girl x Boy.

Boy x Boy.

Girl X Girl.

Yandere Alphabet

S/O Headcanons.

SFW Alphabet.

NSFW Alphabet 18+.

list of prompts writing request ideas and request:

Main Paige/list.

List of animes and characters that I write.

Snow White With Red Hair:

Zen Wisteria

Shirayuki

Kiki Seiran

Mitsuhide Louen

Obi

Mihaya

Kazuki

Ryuu

Raji Shenazard

Sakaki

Black Butler:

Sebastian Michaelis

Ciel Phantomhive

Mey-Rin

Grell Sutcliff

Undertaker

Finnian

Bardroy

Pluto

Lau

Soma Asman Kadar

William T. Spears

Agni

Ronald Knox

Alois Trancy

Claude Faustus

Hannah Annafellows

My Hero Academia:

Izuku Midoriya

Katsuki Bakugo

Momo Yaoyorozu

Shoto Todoroki

Fumikage Tokoyami

Mezo Shoji

Denki Kaminari

Hanta Sero

Kyoka Jiro

Dabi / Touya Todoroki

Mashirao Ojiro

Eijiro Kirishima

Ochaco Uraraka

Tsuyu Asui

Mina Ashido

Himiko Toga

Tenya Ida

Toru Hagakure

Mirio Togata

Tamaki Amajiki

Nejire Hado

Hitoshi Shinso

Melissa Shield

Hawks / Keigo Takami

Eraser Head / Shota Aizawa

All Might / Toshinori Yagi

Midnight / Nemuri Kayama

Mr. Principal / Nezu

Ingenium / Tensei Ida

Tomura Shigaraki

One piece:

Monkey D. Luffy

Roronoa Zoro

Nami

Nico Robin

Sanji

Shanks

Usopp

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Portgas D. Ace

Sabo

Dracule Mihawk

Inuyasha:

Inuyasha

Kagome

Koga

Sesshōmaru

Miroku

Sango

Kohaku

Shippo

The sacrificial princess and the king of beasts:

Sariphi

Leonhart

Ilya

Anubis

Death Note:

l lawliet

Light Yagami

Near

Touta Matsuda

Misa Amane

Ryuk

Vampire Knight:

Zero Kiryu

Hanabusa Aido

Yuki Cross

Kaname Kuran

Senri Shiki

Takuma Ichijo

Akatsuki Kain

Kaien Cross

Ruka Souen

Toga Yagari

Ichiru Kiryu

Rido Kuran

Attack On Titans:

Eren Yeager

Levi Ackerman

Mikasa Ackerman

Armin Arlert

Historia Reiss

Jean Kirschtein

Connie Springer

Hange zoe

Erwin Smith

Annie Leonhart

Sasha Braus

Moblit Berner

Reiner Braun

Marco Bodt

Bertolt Hoover

Ymir

Yu-Gi-Oh:

Yugi Muto

Seto Kaiba

Yami Yugi / Adam Moto

Téa Gardner

Joey Wheeler

Tristan Taylor

Mokuba Kaiba

Bakura

Avatar the Last Airbender. (Yes, I count this as an anime. This is because I really like it and love it. Sorry for the people who don't think it's an anime, but you can't change my mind.):

Aang

Zuko

Katara

Toph

Sokka

Ty Lee

Azula

Diabolical lovers:

Yui Komori

Reiji Sakamaki

Ayato Sakamaki

Laito Sakamaki

Subaru Sakamaki

Shu Sakamaki

Yui Komori

Kou Mukami

Ouran High School Host Club:

Tamaki Suoh

Kyoya Ootori

Kaoru Hitachiin

Hitachiin Hikaru

Haruhi Fujioka

Ritsu Kasanoda

Takashi Morinozuka

Violet Evergarden:

Gilbert Bougainvillea

Benedict Blue

violet Evergarden

Cattleya Baudelaire

Claudia Hodgins

Iris Cannary

The Ancient Magus’ Bride:

Chise Hatori

Elias Ainsworth

Lindel

Ruth

Silver

Assassination Classroom:

Nagisa Shiota

Karma Akabane

Hinano Kurahashi

Hinata Okano

Tadaomi Karasuma

Korosensei

Yuri on ice:

Yuuri Katsuki

Yuri Plisetsky

Victor Nikiforov

Mila Babicheva

Otabek Altin

Phichit Chulanont

Ben 10:

Ben

Gwen

Kevin

Rook Blonko

Ken

RWBY

Ruby Rose

Yang Xiao Long

Weiss Schnee

Blake Belladonna

Pyrrha Nikos

Lie Ren

Jaune Arc

Oscar Pine

Sun Wukong

Ozpin

Crow / Qrow Branwen

Tokyo Revengers:

Takemichi Hanagaki

Mikey/Manjiro Sano

Draken/Ken Ryūgūji

Takashi Mitsuya

Keisuke Baji

Chifuyu Matsuno

Hinata Tachibana

Kazutora Hanemiya

Akkun/Atsushi Sendo

Smiley/Nahoya Kawata

Angry/souya kawata

Emma Sano

Ran Haitani

Rindo Haitani

Shuji Hanma

Izana Kurokawa

list of movies and characters that I write.

Harry Potter:

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

Ron Weasley

Luna Lovegood

Rubeus Hagrid

Neville Longbottom

Ginny Weasley

Remus Lupin

Fred Weasley

George Weasley

Draco Malfoy

Charlie Weasley

Sirius Black

Twilight:

Edward Cullen

Bella Swan

Jacob Black

Alice Cullen

Jasper Hale

Carlisle Cullen

Emmett Cullen

Sam Uley

Embry Call

Hocus Pocus:

Thackery Binx

Max Dennison

Rise of the Guardians:

Jack Frost

Bunnymund

Nicholas St. North

Tooth Fairy

Pitch Black

The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings:

Bilbo Baggins

Thorin Oakenshield

Samwise Gamgee

Legolas

Fili

Kili

Thranduil

Frodo Baggins

list of Marvel movies / comics and characters that I write.

The Avengers:

Peter Parker / Spider-Man

Bruce Banner / Hulk

Tony Stark / Iron Man

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

Thor

Clint Barton

Steve Rogers / Captain America

Loki

T'Challa / Black Panther

Miles Morales / Spinn Spider-Man / Kid-Arachnid

Guardians of the Galaxy:

Peter Quill / Star-Lord

Rocket Raccoon

Gamora

Yondu

Groot

Drax

list of DC movie / Comics and characters that I write.

DC:

Bruce Wayne / Bat-Man

Clark Kent / Superman

Diana Prince / Wonder Woman

Dick Grayson / Nightwing

Jon Lane Kent

Selina Kyle / Catwoman

Zatanna Zatara

Tim Drake

Kara Zor-El / Supergirl

Suicide Squad:

Harley Quinn

Deadshot

Chato Santana

Tatsu Yamashiro

Teen Titans:

Damian Wayne / Robin

Raven

Koriand'r / Starfire

Victor Stone / Cyborg

Garfield Logan / Beast Boy

Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle

Terra

list of shows and characters that I write.

Secrets Of Unfortunate Events:

Violet Baudelaire

Klaus Baudelaire

Quigley Quagmire

Isadora Quagmire

Lemony Snicket

Fiona Widdershins

Duncan Quagmire

Gravity Falls:

Dipper

Mabel

Wendy

robbie

The owl house:

Luz Noceda

Edalyn Clawthorne/ the owl lady

Willow Park

Lilith Clawthorne

Gus Porter

Amity Blight

Emira Blight

Edric Blight

Hunter/ the golden guard

Milo Murphy's Law:

Milo Murphy

Melissa Chase

Zack Underwood

Sara Murphy

Amanda Lopez

Dakota

Balthazar Cavendish

TMNT/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012:

Leo/Leonardo

Raph/Raphael

Donnie/Donatello

Mikey/Michelangelo

Splinter/Hamato Yoshi

April O'nell

Cassey Jones

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ddiana22 · 3 years ago

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How to Watch World junior roundup: Finland, Russia, Canada, Sweden advance to semis

Group USA caught the gold decoration at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Titles, getting a 2-0 triumph over Canada on Tuesday evening. With the misfortune, Canada won the silver decoration, while Finland beat Russia before in the day to catch the bronze.

The U.S. outshot Finland 30-29.

Finland is hoping to turn into the main group to win back to back titles since Canada won five in succession from 2005 to 2009.

Sweden faces Russia in the other elimination round. The two semis are Saturday with the decoration games on Sunday.

Entering Tuesday evening's down, it was a difficult task for the Americans. They'd done well in bunch play and all through the competition, however presently needed to confront a unimaginably solid Canadian group. Albeit the game got going somewhat unpleasant, Group USA immediately demonstrated its value and took control on the way to the success.

Consider this: Canada had not permitted an even-strength objective all competition entering Tuesday. They'd likewise scored first in each game this competition, and hadn't been held over four minutes or thereabouts into a game without an objective.

The entirety of that changed on Tuesday.

Alex Turcotte (Los Angeles Lords) opened the scoring with an objective more than halfway through the main time frame, when the Americans were starting to discover their legs and put quality possibilities on net. They additionally had a urgent punishment kill later in the period; having the option to stimy Canada's offense put them in a decent position heading into the center edge.

Trevor Zegras (Anaheim Ducks) multiplied their lead right off the bat in the subsequent period, and it was tied in with keeping up with the lead from that point. Spencer Knight saved each of the 34 shots he looked to grab the primary shutout at a World Youngsters gold decoration game since 2012.

Sabers prospect Ryan Johnson played 16:14 in the gold decoration game and recorded a single shot on objective. On the opposite side of things, Dylan Cozens had a somewhat tranquil game beside a couple of good possibilities; he recorded a single shot and played 21:27 close by Connor McMichael and Jakob Pelletier. Jack Quinn was sidelined for a significant part of the game and played simply 9:13.

Prior in the day, Finland crushed Russia by a score of 4-1 to catch the bronze decoration, however it was a lot nearer game than the last score would appear to recommend.

Russia held a 1-0 lead for a little, on account of an objective from Ilya Safonov. Finnish chief Anton Lundell moved forward to tie the game right off the bat in the subsequent period, and Mikko Petman broke the impasse only 1:13 into the third time frame. Finland then, at that point, added two void net objectives, from Lundell and Juuso Parssinen, to get their triumph.

IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Titles 2022 Streaming Channels

World Youngsters 2022 television telecasters are underneath.

NHL Organization (USA)

TSN GO (Canada)

Match television (Russia)

Sweden: SVT, TV4, Sveriges Radio

Finland: YLE

Slovakia: RTVS

Switzerland: MySports

Belarus: BTRC

Czech Republic: Ceske Televize

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timjan · 3 years ago

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How to watch 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships: USA Wins Gold

Group USA caught the gold award at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships, getting a 2-0 triumph over Canada on Tuesday evening. With the misfortune, Canada won the silver award, while Finland beat Russia before in the day to catch the bronze.

Entering Tuesday evening's down, it was a daunting struggle for the Americans. They'd done well in bunch play and all through the competition, yet presently needed to confront an extraordinarily solid Canadian group. Albeit the game got going somewhat unpleasant, Team USA immediately demonstrated its value and took control in transit to the success.

The entirety of that changed on Tuesday.

Alex Turcotte (Los Angeles Kings) opened the scoring with an objective more than halfway through the primary time frame, when the Americans were starting to discover their legs and put quality possibilities on net. They additionally had a critical punishment kill later in the period; having the option to stimy Canada's offense put them in a decent position heading into the center casing.

Trevor Zegras (Anaheim Ducks) multiplied their lead right off the bat in the subsequent period, and it was tied in with keeping up with the lead from that point. Spencer Knight saved every one of the 34 shots he looked to catch the main shutout at a World Juniors gold award game since 2012.

Sabers prospect Ryan Johnson played 16:14 in the gold award game and recorded a single shot on objective. On the opposite side of things, Dylan Cozens had a generally tranquil game beside a couple of good possibilities; he recorded a single shot and played 21:27 close by Connor McMichael and Jakob Pelletier. Jack Quinn was sidelined for a significant part of the game and played simply 9:13.

Prior in the day, Finland crushed Russia by a score of 4-1 to catch the bronze decoration, yet it was a lot nearer game than the last score would appear to propose.

Russia held a 1-0 lead for a little, because of an objective from Ilya Safonov. Finnish commander Anton Lundell moved forward to tie the game right off the bat in the subsequent period, and Mikko Petman broke the impasse only 1:13 into the third time frame. Finland then, at that point, added two void net objectives, from Lundell and Juuso Parssinen, to get their triumph.

IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championships 2022 Streaming Channels

World Juniors 2022 TV telecasters are underneath.

NHL Network (USA)

TSN GO (Canada)

Match TV (Russia)

Sweden: SVT, TV4, Sveriges Radio

Finland: YLE

Slovakia: RTVS

Switzerland: MySports

Belarus: BTRC

Czech Republic: Ceske Televize

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gravesfm · 4 years ago

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i have brought me a new boy and it’s the peach hollow mayor’s son ! meet ilya everybody ! he’s a bit of a mess , life of the party and kind of insensitive but he’s also really really talented ! he does archery for sports and works as an indie game concept designer !

( jonathan daviss - twenty-one - he / him ) well , well , well , if it isn’t ilya graves running around peach hollow . legend has it , they come from blueberry boulevard and have lived here for thirteen years . if you’re wondering what they’ve been up to , i hear they’re a concept artist for a living . they have been known to be blunt yet honest . a word of advice to them , always look over your shoulder . you never know who is watching .

basic info.

full name. marvin ilya graves.

nickname / s. graves ( mostly ), ilya.

birthdate. december 8th.

age. twenty-one y.o.

star sign. sagittarius.

gender & pronouns. cismale, he / him.

sexual orientation. bi-curious.

place of birth. peach hollow, georgia.

character inspiration. andrew spencer ( love, victor ), cole preston ( wallows ).

biography. trigger warning — bullying

growing up in peach hollow meant getting used to things changing , and while most of the folks in town disliked how the rich have turned their home into a cesspool of bustling businesses , jeremiah graves took that and went with it . while his parents started a business of their own , jeremiah worked hard , using his smarts to bolster his academic pursuits , eventually getting himself a full-ride scholarship to a pre-law at winchester and into law school at the university of texas .

coming home to peach hollow was when jeremiah dated victoria stein , they started as academic rivals in their childhood , with victoria on the winning side most of the time . victoria was from the richer side of town — one of the families of businessmen that came to peach hollow and turned around the town in its earlier years . they had been rivals as attorneys well after law school — they started dating and eventually married . their eldest child was born a year after and a few years after , ilya graves was born .

ilya was the family’s golden child . being in school earlier than most his age , and keeping up with the older kids academically — the kid had inherited both of his parents’ smarts and they were sure future was bright for young ilya . his earlier years consisted of him huddled up with a book and a bunch of crayons . he didn’t find it easy to get along with the older kids and he hardly put up a fight . he found solace in his books and crayons and older video games his parents would get him when he was younger , and playing them would make him want to figure out how they were made , he knew about different mechanics that could create different outcomes and it helped warm up his brain trying to figure out different ways to win a game . it helped him in real life too , when he was presented with a problem he would always find multiple ways to figure it out and solve them .

middle school , however , wasn’t easy for him . he still excelled in his academic , and was always a favorite among the teachers , but that also meant he’d usually be cornered by the older kids and get bullied a lot , there was even an incident where his mother found him beat up under the bleachers in the schools gymnasium and had the other children suspended for it . it was safe to say ilya hated anything outside of the classroom . the classroom was a place where he knew he was better at than most of his bullies and there was always a teacher making sure no one was getting beat up — but outside the classroom ? scary as shit . he would always come home tired because most of the day was him avoiding them , running when he saw them and sometimes getting stuck in lockers whenever he was caught .

after numerous incidents where ilya would come home with a few bruises and stolen lunch money , his parents thought it was best to move him to a boarding school in woodstock for high school .

going to high school in a new place meant he could change things for himself . sure , there were bullies everywhere but he was very adamant in making sure the things that happened in middle school would never repeat themselves again . his parents got him to a summer camp and he found a specific liking to archery so his parents invested in that hobby for him . ilya became involved in more physical activities such as basketball and volleyball , and became really popular in his new school . he still excelled in his academics and graduated top of his class .

for college he went on and took a game design course in the university of southern california . it was also at this point when his skills in archery were starting to be recognized as he joined numerous competitions at this point . freshman year was also when he started going to different parties , different clubs in LA to drink at and became friends with a lot of people , and sure , eventually college was starting to get difficult with the many requirements and plates to finish but it was always his dream to be there .

after graduating , he went back to peach hollow . but unlike his dad that loved the town so much he became a mayor , ilya was only going to be here for a while . he didn’t know why but over the years of not living there ( even though he spent his summers in peach hollow ) he sort of missed the place . even though it used to be a place he didn’t want to be in when he was younger . he still doesn’t like the place , and doesn’t intend to stay for long , but he thought he’d see the new things the town had to offer .

personality !

ilya is a very analytical person . when thinking about things he always favors intuition over emotion , so when presented with an issue he has the tendency to disregard any feelings and focus on how to fix it . with this he definitely tends to come off as an asshole sometimes and probably made some not-so-great relationships with it . ilya is also a romantic person . while he’s not the type of person to jump from relationship to relationship , they definitely tend to last for a while . he also loves going to clubs . he’s probably gone to every bar and club in peach hollow in his stay so far and he’s made a lot of new friends there . he’s unsure of his sexuality — and while he’s sure he isn’t straight he’s also had times where he wanted to be in a relationship with multiple people ( not in a cheat-y way . he thinks he’s polyamorous ) .

some factoids !

his shortest relationship is with one paxton adler . this was during the summer between freshman and sophomore year . it left things , a bit uneasy between them .

he loves pokemon . his first ever game was pokemon silver , where he caught a shiny vulpix that evolved into a ninetales . it is the one pokemon he’s had for the longest time as he’s transferred it from game to game .

he has a lot of video games tbh his office space in his house in blueberry boulevard is probably half-work station half-video game den . he has a lot of the newer consoles and preserves his older ones .

he’s worked on a few games so far and is currently slowly working on his own ! the title is starry knight where you play a cosmic knight defending the universe from corrupted celestial bodies . it’s graphics and art style take a bunch of inspiration from sky : children of light and ooblets .

his favorite bow is a black oneida kestrel bow .

#peaches:intro #ig. | ｉｌｙａ　ｇｒａｖｅｓ.#i didnt beta read this but i will tomorrow #bullying tw #tw bullying

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white-cloaked · 5 years ago

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Being essentially under the command of Gustave Gilbert chafed.

While the blonde wasn’t particularly prideful, having to take orders from someone who had fled in the face of his failure made them want to scream. Still, they never could have managed alone the past five years, and so they swallowed their anger in favor of expediency. The news that their quarry had been sighted was a welcome turn of events, and for the first time in five years, they didn’t question orders. The bandits were swiftly routed, which left them the time to ponder what their liege lord and cousin had become in a half-decade.

Having only known a few of the Blue Lions, and not having known the professor at all, Ilya remained apart from the ensuing “reunion”; it wasn’t their place to join in the discussion. Once the group dispersed however (Gilbert and the professor to elsewhere and the students to "clean up the monastery”), the warrior wielding a sword nearly as long from pommel to point as they were tall approached the prince who called himself a corpse. Body lightly armored for both speed and protection, they could've been any knight of the Holy Kingdom.

And yet, the distinctive pauldrons and white cloak marked them for what they truly were. A member of the Kingsguard, and the only one to survive the witch Cornelia’s purge, at that. One armored hand finding a hip, silver-grey eyes found one single blue, a smirk sharp as their sword curling one corner of their mouth. “Dead or alive, it’s good to see you again, Mitya.” Caught off-guard by the changes to Dimitri, they did what they did best, and took refuge in audacity. Posture relaxed, they still eyed him carefully, one predator to another.

Much as they didn’t wish to, they would fight him, if the need arose.

@sovereign-tempest

#sovereign-tempest #To Watch You; To Shield You; Or Kill On Demand (Dimitri)#Blaiddyd Crested (Self)#War is a Serious Business (Canon | War)#IC #RP #((I hope the starter's okay. I can edit if not.))

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towershq · 4 years ago

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LORE 005 — THE SUN GOD RHEA, THE MOON GODDESS LY, AND THE SEVEN SAINTS

most of the continent, save for fairisle & erys, follow the church of elyria. they worship saints, defied by the father rhea & mother ly, the great god & goddess of the sun & moon. though there are seven official saints (the daughter, the knight, the farmer, the seer, the watcher, the sailor, & the stranger), certain elyrian villages or regions may have scores of unofficial saints spread by the people.

among the most well known saints are: the moon’s daughter, saint alys, who faced raiding soldiers beneath the silvery moon & stars and prayed for mercy. saint ilya, the silver knight, a legendary warrior for whom the kingsguard claim founded their order. there was saint willas, for wherever he walked, bountiful farms and orchards sprouted.

saints are either referred to by their names, or by shortened versions of their titles (the daughter, the knight, the farmer). women prayed to the mother for easy childbirth, men prayed to the farmer before laying down their crops. others might pray for safety: maidens to the daughter before her wedding day, warriors to the knight on the eve before battle.

there is also the stranger, known only by the name blackhands, known for bringing a merciful end to miserable smallfolk, going village to village and wrapping pale, cold hands, about the necks of the suffering. rarely is a candle lit nor a prayer sung for the watcher.

smallfolk & nobles alike often name their children after saints.

#towers.lore #new rp #appless rp #fantasy rp #period rp

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team-sifm · 4 months ago

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The Beginning

Ten Years Ago

Atlas Academy Courtyard

Built around a fortress that pre-dated gunpowder, the Academy was otherwise in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Or rather, an hour-and-change airship ride from Schnee Manor. And Jacques hadn't exactly been begging her to visit when she'd left. Or seen her off, after the literally bloody fight, not even to make sure she was gone.

Winter may have chosen to be there, had left tiny Weiss and baby Whitley alone in that place with only Klein on their side, but even she was starting to feel strained and cold. All of them had been standing at attention in the Academy's courtyard for nearly three hours, but like hell was she going to let something as petty as the cold break her. It wasn't snowing, which was a small mercy, but the temperature was well below the point of freezing; a bitter arctic wing stung at every inch of exposed skin.

She figured that that effect was intentional, perhaps the reason Atlas Academy started in winter instead of in spring like the other schools. The entire class of freshmen, hundreds of teenagers from across Atlas and the rest of Remnant, stood at attention while the Headmaster made a few moments' small talk with them all. Every. Single. Student. A few of her soon-to-be classmates had already withdrawn from the courtyard, unable to bear a cold that blued skin and froze bones. And whatever anyone believed, Winter Schnee was no more immune to the cold than the rest of them — especially since successful (and oft unethical) eugenics had left current generations of the von Adalbrecht/Schnee family with poor circulation.

Winter was just twice as stubborn.

“Hey,” a voice to Winter's left called out.

The voice was a medium pitch, feminine enough, though Winter’s trained ear caught that it wasn’t naturally so — a woman like herself, or a person who simply preferred femininity? Irrelevant. It belonged to someone who'd been trying to catch her eye for some time now. Winter ignored it. The Headmaster was still dozens of students away from her position in the receiving line, but she was (perhaps in vain) using every power of observation she possessed to study him. Get a handle on his body language, his cadence, his movements and mannerism, lest she be caught flat-footed by him.

“Hellooo~” Winter continued to ignore it. She wasn't here to make small talk or friends, neither of which she'd had much success with growing up. She didn't need distractions. "Hey… hey, it’s Winter, right? Winter Schnee? Jacques Schnee’s kid?" Winter's jaw tightened, though she found herself traitorously curious about how this person knew her preferred name. "What by the Shattered Moon did you do to end up here?"

Clearly, everyone knew Jacques never would have allowed her to come here. Well then. Still. Irrelevant. "I have better things to do than gossip,” Winter hissed, shooting her darkest look at the person beside her.

To her mild surprise, they didn't flinch, or cower, or explode. They just smiled the smile of someone who'd gotten exactly what they'd wanted — a response. "Oh, my fair Winter, I just want to what you did to piss off the family patriarch."

She said nothing, having already mentally categorized the person beside her as at best a waste of air and space. Less charitably, they were likely one of the thousands of parasites Winter had grown up around, oh-so-desperate to insinuate themselves into the good graces of the Schnee family (though the blue eyes and beauty mark were vaguely familiar). Faking friendship or irreverence was hardly an original strategy. Winter had long since found that ignoring the aspiring sycophants was usually the most efficient route…

“This is the part where you say, 'I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage,’ and ask for my name," the person prattled on, infuriatingly indifferent to the white-haired woman’s iciness.

”I do not care," Winter replied, eyes forward again.

"Is yours a misanthropic persona, or was Papa telling the truth about our fellow Dukes being able to smell Fraldariuses at a hundred yards?" To her own annoyance, Winter's head once more twitched sideways at the words, catching that playfully victorious smile again. "It's true: I'm a Fraldarius, blue-blooded as you. We just do everything in teal and silver instead of white and blue."

"…So, what is your name? Or would you rather I just call you Fraldarius?" Unlike Jacques, who spoke the surname like a slur, Winter’s words held no emotion at all.

"Gwenneth. Gwenneth Hestia Fraldarius, at your service," they replied, with an easy smile and the slightest dip of a curtsy. "But my friends — and the baby brother I love with all the breath in my body — call me Gwenn."

Winter barely even made an acknowledging sound, in a tone suggesting that she was filing all of it away under 'Information I Will Never Need to Know'. (If she recalled a sad but sweet boy named Glenn with blue eyes and a beauty mark, she said nothing about it.)

Unfortunately for Winter, Gwenn Fraldarius was doggedly social. "So, Winter Schnee, you never did answer my question — and I’d also love to know how you got that dashing scar of yours~"

Something treacherous almost tugged at the corner of Winter's cheek. "No, Fraldarius, I did not." The Headmaster was close enough that Winter could hear the murmur of his voice, if not the words themselves, when her Snow Leopard Faunus Ears twitched in his direction. To his credit, the Headmaster seemed to be as unfazed by the cold as he expected his students to be. (Gwenn Fraldarius seemed more distraught by the blandness of the uniform than the sub-zero temperature.)

“Spoilsport," teased Gwenn in reply. "I'll go first, if it makes you feel any less nervous." It was an artless bit of baiting that nevertheless rankled Winter. “Every born Fraldarius,” every true Fraldarius, though they were too kind to say it like that, “has always attended the Academy, whether they became Hunters or Soldiers or not.” Though, of course, only second-born and younger children were given the option to become Hunters or Soldiers; the first would become Duke or Duchess without question. As was the case with most of Atlas' aristocratic families.

Before Winter could even consider a response, something seemed to strike them, and they continued. "Your Dad and the Headmaster go back a ways, right? I've heard they're pretty buddy-buddy when it comes to clearing Grimm from potential Dust mines."

“A stable supply of Dust is vital to the safety of all the Kingdoms in Remnant," Winter hissed back, unable to suppress a reflexive defense of her (likely soon-to-be former, knowing Jacques) inheritance. She glanced to her right. "Enough of this."

The Headmaster was close enough that Fraldarius had the good sense to shut up, at least for a few minutes. Not that Winter was getting the scent of 'deferential respect for authority' from them, but there was no sense in making an ass of yourself this early in the school year. Or perhaps Winter's unintended offer of a conversation in the future had bought her a few moments reprieve in the present. The scarred woman redirected her focus to the Headmaster, hoping the frostbite nipping at both sets of her ears wouldn’t impair their function for a few minutes more. The conversations, from what she could overhear, were largely formulaic. An introduction and welcome. A question about the student's background, and a follow-up. A sentence or two about a subject of interest.

Gwenn Fraldarius snapped to attention as the Headmaster stood in front of them, giving them a once-over with an eye well-versed in rapid assessments. Winter almost winced at how wide the smaller aristocrat’s smile was, even as their fingers were turning a very morbid shade of blue.

“Gwenneth Hestia Fraldarius," stated the Headmaster. They weren't organized in any alphabetical line, unusual given the Academy's reputation for discipline, but perhaps there was something she didn’t know about the organization? Regardless, Winter wondered just how exactly he was recalling every student's name. Had he committed the names and faces of hundreds of freshmen to memory? "Thank you for choosing Atlas Academy.”

“Thrilled to be here, sir," Gwenn Fraldarius chirped, far too enthusiastically. They were halfway into a curtsy when they caught themself, snapping upright into a salute. The Headmaster raised an eyebrow. "I'll show you just what the Fraldarius name is worth, sir."

“I don't doubt it," the Headmaster chuckled to himself. “How is Rodrigue , these days? And Naomi? Good, I hope.” He waited only long enough for them to nod, before continuing on to say that he recommended medics training for them. When they eagerly agreed, he gave them an approving nod. Gwenn Fraldarius visibly relaxed as he moved on.

“Winter… Winter Schnee.”

Her spine, if possible, straightened further.

"Headmaster Ironwood," she replied, offering a salute that was surprisingly crisp given her unfamiliarity with it. "Or do you prefer 'General', sir?"

Ironwood looked at her discerningly. "As you are no doubt aware, Schnee, the two are ultimately one and the same." He paused for a long moment. "Whichever you choose is correct, though 'Headmaster' is more customary within these walls."

"Understood, sir." Winter remained At Attention, awaiting the follow-up question Ironwood seemed to have prepared for every student in line. If he'd asked Fraldarius about the Duke and Duchess, then she had little doubt what would be directed her way. James Ironwood, after all, was possibly the closest thing her father had (ever had?) to a friend.

"Have you successfully Summoned yet, Schnee?"

Winter blinked, inhaling deeply in surprise, though her expression remained blank and her posture ramrod-straight. "Sir?" she questioned, confused. Ironwood tilted his head slightly, but gave her the time to fumble for words. She cleared her throat. "Not completely, sir. I have had preliminary success, but my Father has... discouraged me, from practicing without professional supervision."

"…Supervision which he has no doubt not provided." The words hung in the air for a long moment, the implications were, unfortunately, completely lost on Winter. "I look forward to hearing more from you, Schnee."

"Sir,” was all she could get out, chest tight, as the Headmaster moved down the line.

Gwenn leaned in conspiratorially. "Looks like someone made a friend," they teased.

Winter had nothing to say to that.

———

Later; Barracks

"Ugh I'm stuck on a Team with a bunch of girls."

The newly christened Team SIFM (pronounced as "Seafoam") stood in their dorm room, looking either at each other, or around them. All of Atlas' dorms — referred to as barracks by the Academy — were co-ed, the policy allowing all members of a Team to share the same living area, regardless of differing genders. There were four bunk beds built into the right-hand wall, with a ladder in the middle allowing access to the upper two beds. Along the wall across from the bunks were four desks and chairs, one for each member of the Team, meant for studying. Directly across from the door was a floor-to-ceiling window; higher portions could be opened, while drapes could be drawn from either side. On each bunk was a folded set of pajamas. (White shirts with a gray emblem of the Academy; black, white, and gray sweatpants; both heavy and fleece lined.)

Winter — the tallest by a small margin, hair and complexion snow white and eyes a cold ice blue — stood against the window, hands clasped behind her back and head held high. (Mapping all the exits, and mentally sizing up her childhood companions Teammates, should it come to a fight.) Snow leopard ears and tail proudly unhidden, despite claws and fangs being filed short per Jacques’ orders. Short, slightly curly hair with right-parted bangs, and an absolutely completely unmissable scar that ran below her eyes and across the bridge of her nose. New, but healed, and just as defiantly uncensored as her (more obvious) Faunus characteristics. She had been vaguely aware of all three of them since childhood, but still wasn't sure what to make of them. …Especially after that infuriating conversation with Gwenn in the courtyard before Initiation.

Ilya Avery Blaiddyd was half slouched, half leaned against the closed door; one hand was shoved into a pocket, while the other hung at their side. Directly across from her, they were thus the tallest Faunus' final obstacle between herself and escape, should things go badly. They were only an inch shorter than Winter, but that didn't mean much, since they were also much leaner than their Team Leader. Silver-grey eyes flicked between each of their Teammates, as they compulsively tucked some of their chin-length, center-parted sandy blond hair behind their right ear. As their family (sans their estranged father) spent summers and school breaks in Vale or Mistral, they had a warmer skin tone. They were the one who had spoken.

"Don't be like that, Ilyusha," the third member of their Team chided, softly. "We grew up together, so it could be worse." Seated on her bunk, Gwenn was the shortest, and the most overtly feminine — which Winter tried not to begrudge her. Being tied to the old Royal Line, Gwenn (indirectly) and Ilya's (directly) families added middle names. (For reasons unknown, Großmutter’s family had switched from middle names to the ‘von’ nobiliary particle.) The advantage the most feminine member of the Team had had was one confused-yet-permissive parent; she wore makeup, kept her dark blue curls long, and owned more feminine clothing than just her uniform and Combat Outfit. Her eyes were the same shade of blue as Winter's, and she had a beauty mark just below the right corner of her mouth; fluffy feline ears and a tail to match had never been hidden.

…Winter tried not to begrudge her that, either.

The final member of their Team gave what might have been a shrug, before putting in their two cents. "Not like I was looking for friends, anyway..." With their arms crossed, and her chin nearly tucked against her chest, Macaria Aides rounded out Team SIFM; somehow both leaning against a desk and trying to curl into herself at the same time. Half-lidded blood red eyes, cast in the shadow of their uniform cap, belied the tension in her whole frame. (Winter couldn't read body language, and couldn't pick up on social cues, but she knew what it looked like when someone was forcing themself to act differently than they felt.) Red-tinted black hair cascaded over their broad shoulders and down their back in a pin-straight curtain, easily the longest out of the four of them, though not entirely by the thestral's own choice.

After a long moment, all three shifted to look at Winter, but she said nothing for a few more equally long moments. Instead, she considered them, herself included. The General had called their Team balanced. Two frontline fighters, and two support members -- though both of said two support members could also fight directly, if needed. Two reserved, two carefree. All Faunus, though Macaria hid her wings and ears for reasons none of them yet knew. All blue-blooded nobility of the highest echelons, though all outsiders in one way or another. All under the transgender umbrealla, though all with different feelings about it. All protective older siblings -- even though Ilya and Demeter were more correctly cousins, they treated each other like siblings -- and all protective of children.

A Schnee.

A Blaiddyd.

A Fraldarius.

An Aides.

"...This is going to be an interesting four years," Winter said, calmer than she felt.

And that, for the moment, was that.

#Not A Hunter (OOC)#The White Soldier (Winter)#The Teal Saint (Gwenn)#The Silver Knight (Ilya)#The Crimson Reaper (Macaria)#General And Headmaster (Ironwood)#Of Textbooks And Essays (Sam Writes/Blog Lore)

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angelinarecs · 7 years ago

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Man from U.N.C.L.E. Recs

This movie came out of nowhere for me. It was suggested viewing for one of the 10 hour “holy hell where did all this laundry come from?” shifts during the week of Christmas while working as a housekeeper at a State Park. It wasn’t until after I got home and googled the movie, that I realized this was a show my mom used to watch late at night when she thought I had gone to bed. Suffice it to say, I’m glad I’ve picked up this fandom :) Follow the full rec list here for updates!

Organized by fandom, then pairing (or gen), and then alphabetized by title. Summaries (which have been copied from their respective stories) and descriptions are provided. Notation at the end of the description indicates if a story is completed or a WIP.

Gen

Cowboys in Peril - Just a collection of short stories, centering around our favorite boys, in which Solo gets hurt in some way or another. I really want to explore the friendship in this team. I own nothing but the plot I came up with. Enjoy! Feel free to send me any prompts that fit! Hurt/Comfort/Friendship. Just a small series of Napoleon managing to get himself injured in some way. Of course, this means that Gaby and Illya always have to come save him. While I do enjoy portraying a more complex character that doesn’t have to fall back on too many tropes to develop, I’m a sucker for hurt/comfort and this is right up my ally. WIP, series of one-shots.

I Myself am Heaven and Hell - For all his sins, for all his faults, an apology is all he has to offer. (Written in response to a prompt requesting Solo with a history of drug addiction. Angst/Hurt/Comfort. Very well written and paced. I really enjoyed how the coherency of Napoleon’s point of view wavers and changes in relation to his circumstances and frame of mind, this device really allows the reader to follow along and sympathize with his character throughout the story. Also, brownie points for an accurate portrayal of drug addiction in showing the dependency in relation to coping style (it is theorized that different users are attracted to different types of drugs based on how they cope - or don’t cope - with life experiences, opium and heroin do follow along the lines of Napoleon’s character). One-shot.

Trust - The ways in which the agents realize that they trust each other. Now a collection of one-shots. Disclaimer: I don’t own The Man From U.N.C.L.E. [Ch 10: The Handcuffs. Gaby and Illya’s mission goes smoothly. Their walk home? Not so much.] Friendship/Humor. Exploring the relationships between Gaby, Illya, and Napoleon through snap-shots of establishing trust is a really ingenious and compelling plot that allows the reader to appreciate and engage with the unfolding relationship of the team. WIP, series of one-shots and story arcs.

Weird Occupational Hazards - Napoleon, Gaby and Illya are sent to Johannesburg by Waverly to meet a contact and collect some information. After the mission, they are supposed to relax and enjoy their time in Johannesburg but thanks to Napoleon, things are not going to be that simple…Hurt/Comfort/Friendship. Napoleon comes down with a mysterious illness after a mission and his condition rapidly declines. Poor Gaby and Illya have to figure out what’s going on and try to save their friend and partner. Complete.

Illya, Napoleon Friendship

In the Bleak Midwinter - It’s Christmas Eve and Napoleon is bleeding to death…Friendship/Hurt/Comfort. Napoleon is injured on the job and Ilya has to keep him alive until help can come. Melodramatic in places, but an interesting look at what holidays mean to two people from very different ideologies and backgrounds. One-shot.

Return the Favor - Five times Illya helps Napoleon, and one time Napoleon returns the favor. Hurt/Comfort/Friendship. Illya saves his partner and patches him up after fights, missions, and mishaps. Napoleon gets to return the favor. I always enjoy these stories because they do give better balance to the character development. Complete.

Short Circuit - It’s desperation that causes Illya to do something he had tried to do the first time he met Napoleon: he breaks one of his ribs. Shameless Napoleon!Whump! Hurt/Comfort/Friendship. A follow-up to the chair scene from the movie. I really appreciated this piece because there is no way that Napoleon should have walked away from everything in the movie as well as he did. Also, I’m a sucker for hurt/comfort so that might have something to do with this as well. Complete.

What’s In a Name - Five times Illya and Napoleon used various nicknames for each other and one time they didn’t. So much bromance, guys. Rated for a bit of language. Friendship. Some fun drabbles surrounding the relationship between Illya and Napoloeon, as told through their use of nicknames. One-shot.

White Knight - The CIA decide it’s time Solo is taught a brutal lesson in loyalty. Hurt/Comfort. Not the most believable plot, but it definitely fits in with the dramatized world of 1960s spies. This is mostly just a pure Napoleon!whump with BAMF!Ilya. One-shot.

Illya/Napoleon

Понимаешь? - They just need a bit more time, just a bit, until Gaby comes to get them. And Napoleon has done a remarkable job of stalling, silver tongue put to good use, but it seems their time has run out. Hurt/Comfort. Napoleon gets himself injure on the job trying to protect Illya and now poor Illya has to get them both out of this situation. A rather touching story of their relationship. One-shot.

When the Ice Melts - Illya is Illya. He is everything he does. Everything he does embodies him as a person. He can knock a man unconscious without even knocking him off his feet, and he can force a man down with enough power to ensure the man never gets up again. But at the same time, he can stitch a wound with the care and precision of a doctor; he can smooth away the pain of a hang-over with cool fingertips. He’s infuriating and comforting and Napoleon doesn’t want to see the day when he stops. Angst/Hurt/Comfort. One of the 5 times + 1 time fics that centers around Illya caring for his teammates and Napoleon getting a chance to return it. Complete.

#man from uncle #man from uncle fanfiction #fanfiction #angelina's recs #illya kuryakin #napoleon solo #gaby teller #illya/solo #why do i like them so much?

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votestaynight2 · 1 year ago

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7th Day dialogue lost loop (Scene 2) (Attempt 2) / 8th Day - De:light (Scene 1)

As long as I've broken my promise with her, all my explanations will be excuses. I have to do something to earn her forgiveness, but I don't know what will please her. Then―――why don't I do anything she wishes, like a Servant under a Command Spell?

"Why are you silent? I won't be deceived by that face. I'm not going to apologize if you're not either. If you don't like me, then I'll――――"

"―――I've decided. A Servant. I'll be your Servant just this once in compensation for breaking my promise." "…Turn you into a doll… Wait, a Servant!?"

"Yeah. There's nothing I can do that will keep my promise, right? So I'll obey you just once. Wouldn't that make you feel a bit better?"

"―――――――――――――――――――― ―――No, you're lying! You didn't come to the park. A verbal promise ends right away, so I won't trust your words."

"I know. That's why I'm going to obey you, like you used a Command Spell. You'll only be able to use it once, but I won't break my promise with you, no matter what. Will you trust me if that's the case?"

"T-Trust you…? But I don't have a Command Spell I can use against you…"

"No, but I'll keep my promise. There's no contract or Command Spell, but I'll treat it like an order from a Command Spell. We're both Masters. I swear on my Crest that I won't betray something I recognize as a Command Spell."

I swear while looking Ilya in the eyes. The silver-haired girl gasps and… "…Will you really do anything I say?" …Stares back at me uneasily.

"Of course. It's a Command Spell we're talking about. I'll do anything, as long as it's possible for me to do." I reply to her wary gaze with a big smile.

"……" A long silence. Ilya averts her eyes and clenches her fists.

"……Okay. Then, I want……" "Huh…?" Did I mishear her? It's a Command Spell we're talking about here, but her wish is a small one.

"Ilya…? Hold on, it's a Command Spell. I'm going to do anything you say. Are you sure that's all you want?"

"……" "Don't you have anything else? That's too easy. You don't have to hold back, so give me a better――――" "I-I'm not holding back! You liar! You said you'd do anything!"

"Uh, but… is that really all you want!? Because such a trifling matter…" …It's something I'd easily be able to do, even without a Command Spell forcing me.

"…It's not trivial. I've always wanted to do something like that. So that's what I want from you right now, Shirou." Her face is all red, and she's trembling out of fear of getting rejected.

"――――――Ilya." There's no way I can question her now. No matter how trivial it may be, it's her wish. Then―――I have to protect her as her knight.

"All right. I'm sorry for saying such a stupid thing. ―――Let's go, Ilya. It's a small shopping district, but it should be fun with the two of us."

I can feel my face heating up as I say the embarrassing words. My face is turning red. But I hold my hand out to Ilya without trying to hide it.

Ilya's wish really is trivial. 'Take me shopping.' It's not a big wish. She asked for an everyday event.

…I don't know how much meaning her wish held for her. We walk through the shopping district not like Masters, but like siblings. Ilya runs through the familiar scenery with lit up eyes.

Seeing her high spirits lifts my own. Ilya walks on with a carefree smile. Her merry attitude makes me wish this time would last forever.

―――But I finally realize. She runs as if dancing, never ceasing her smile. But there's no happiness there. She's smiling desperately because she's sad―――and because she doesn't want this dream to end.

"Come over here, Shirou! The coffee's gonna get cold!" A hot can must be interesting for her, as she runs to the park with both our drinks in hand.

The end comes, no matter how much I wish for this not to end and no matter how much I bite my lips for her to not push herself. The shopping district here is small. No matter how slowly we take it, we can work our way through the whole place in about an hour.

"We're here! We're at the final station. You can rest now, Shirou. Thanks for all the work until now."

Ilya turns to me. I sit down on the bench, thinking that she must want to rest here.

…But. Even though she suggested it, Ilya does not sit down.

"Ilya? Aren't you sitting down?" "Here's your drink, Shirou. You get coffee, and I get sweet red-bean soup."

Ilya takes my drink from her pocket and hands it to me. …The only item she asked me to buy her was her drink.

"But how did you know about sweet red-bean soup? They don't have it back home, right?" "Right. It's the first time I've ever seen it. I was told I shouldn't be able to drink it because it's too sweet."

Ilya takes a step, smiling. She twirls to the middle of the park.

"Ilya…?" "I'll lift the Command Spell here. It was only a short while, but thanks, Shirou." Her voice is clear. Smiling resolutely, Ilya announces that her dream has come to an end.

"Wha――――'thanks'? Why? It hasn't even been an hour yet. We can go to Shinto if you're bored with the shopping district. That place is far better than…"

"It's fine. This is the last stop, after all. It was fun, but the shopping ends here. The sun's going to set soon, so let's go back to our previous relationship. I'm a Master who came to kill Shirou, and you're fighting me for your own good. Our relationship was set in stone before we met."

How can I respond to that? Ilya yearns for ordinary life more than me, but she casts away her wishes far more readily.

"―――I see. Then when we leave this park…" "Yes, we'll be enemies. If we meet again during nighttime, we'll have to continue the fight. If you don't want me to kill you, you'll have to kill me first."

I stop my breath for a second and look up at the sky. ―――The sky is gray. The happy time quickly ended, and the town is covered with a heavy canopy. Even though I wished for this time to last forever, I knew it was going to end like this when I realized this is only a painful experience for Ilya.

The girl said this the farthest end. The final station. Ilya keeps smiling innocently in this place without destination or backtrack.

"―――Wow! It's snowing, Shirou!" Her lively voice catches my attention. A distant scenery is in front of me when I look back at the park.

I doubt for a second, thinking it's an illusion. It's not because of the snow, but because of the dancing girl.

"――――――――" The snow must be temporary. It looks like it'll stop soon.

…Within the indistinct winter, Ilya is completely surrounded in white snow. The silver-haired girl is playing in the temporary snow as if loved by winter.

"Aha, the snow in this town is warm. This is the first time I've seen normal snow." I don't know what's so fun, but Ilya keeps twirling around.

"You're energetic. Do you like snow, Ilya?" "Yeah. I don't like cold things, but I like the snow. It's kind and like my mom. I was praised that my hair is white and feminine."

She makes a big smile. By watching her, I can tell who praised her.

"It's beautiful. So it snows in the land Kiritsugu used to live in, huh?"

Her smile isn't directed at me. …Ilyasviel von Einzbern. The white girl that came to kill my father. Why she was after Kiritsugu, why she wants to kill me… …These things I already know.

The man that betrayed Einzbern. Kiritsugu abandoned everything and started living in this town. I, an unrelated child, pursued him as his son. ―――I didn't learn about all the sacrifices that made this life possible until I became a Master.

The snow keeps falling as if to hide Ilya. The girl from a distant foreign country says goodbye with a smile.

"Good-bye, Shirou. I'll play with you again if I ever see you walking around alone!"

The white girl leaves the park with an innocent smile.

As though her presence was what sustained it, the snowfall slackens and dies. A temporary illusion. I brush off the snow crystals that never had a chance to pile up and leave the station of the farthest end.

Then the day continues as before. Shirou goes home, almost kisses Sakura, they go to the park, Zouken gets fucking *REKT*, The shadow shows up and the Shirou almost dies, like he always does. Then he goes to sleep. Then Zouken does his super fucked up shit during the night. Then he goes to school, Rin continues to be the best fucking character, and this is the next new thing:

8th Day - De:light

School ends, and I quickly head home. Since all the after-school clubs have been cancelled, the front gate is crowded with students. I look around, but I don't see Tohsaka. I bet she's already heading to the Matou household.

"Senpai? Are you looking for someone?" "Hm? No, I was just looking at the school. It's rare for everyone to go home like this, right?"

"You're right. But we can go home together because of that. Should we stop by the shopping district?" "Yeah, let's buy stuff for dinner. Fuji-Nee can't come over for a while, so it'll be for me, you, and Saber."

We stop by the park after shopping. There's no one here. No children playing around. No silver-haired girl in a coat.

"…There's no one here. Is this place not used that often?"

"I guess that's how it is. There were people here until the sun set when I was a child, but I guess it's like this now except for the holidays." "I see. It's kind of lonely."

I agree and look up at the sky. The evening sky. The madder red sky without any birds looks lonely, just like the park.

"Let's go. You don't get this time off very often, so we should relax." We leave the park. With an energetic reply, Sakura follows after me.

Interlude 8-1

And the girl―――Tohsaka Rin reaches her destination. The Matou household. The workshop of the old family of magi who came to this town two hundred years ago. Even though her family gave them land as a cooperator, the Matou family are outsiders they never concerned themselves with. The two families formed a non-aggression pact, and bound themselves to not be concerned with each other's affairs.

"―――――――" She walks on, uncaring. If there was a pact forbidding the two families to associate, it was broken eleven years ago. It was originally formed by the heads of the two families. They had abided by it for two hundred years, though its purpose had been forgotten.

Neither Tohsaka nor Matou have obtained the Holy Grail during that time. Their pact was made to obtain the Holy Grail. But since their wish never came true, there is no reason to follow such an ancient pact now.

She strides through the front door without ringing the doorbell. She did not come here as a guest. She is here as a Master, to eliminate one of her competitors in this game.

"Well, that's true, but…" Rin searches through the Matou household with a sour expression. …The Holy Grail War provided her with the reason to come here. Therefore, she is not bound by the pact between their families. ―――Even though she persuades herself, she cannot change her personality.

"…I see. This is the first time I've gone against my dad's instruction." She mutters to herself. But it's nothing special. It's not like something important was destroyed by disobeying her father.

If she regrets anything… "…How stupid of me. I should've came here earlier if I was going to break the pact anyway." …It's the remorse towards someone who has endured it for over ten years.

"―――Rin. It's about the layout of the house. There are two blank areas." "Huh? Where is that? Is it on the first floor?" "The second. It's a bit small to be a stairway, but it probably goes down to the basement." "…Okay. By the way, have you noticed it, Archer?" "Of course. But it shouldn't be harmful. If you choose to ignore it, I will as well. Our target is that monster." She nods to his words and goes to the second floor.

―――Even though the red knight is not visible, he is by her side. She brought him in case of combat, but it seems he takes notice of small details. After traversing the house once, he has come up with a blueprint and can point out where the empty spaces are. Rin has come to realize that Archer is skilled in analyzing the design and structure of objects.

"…I've been thinking. That strong point of yours isn't suited for an archer." "You can whine later. Here, I got it open. It's dark, so watch―――" They stop talking. From the opening in the wall… Damp air flows out of the pathway to the basement. The rotten smell is unbearable even for Archer, who has not taken form.

They come down to a damp, stone paving. Murky greenish darkness engulfs them. The numerous holes must be to bury dead people. In these stone chambers, the corpses decompose and fade away, leaving the holes empty to await their next occupant.

It is like the process of burial above ground. The only difference is the process of decomposition. It is not the soil that decomposes the corpse here, but the writhing mass of worms.

"This is the training ground of the Matou――――the Makiri――――" She gets dizzy. It's not because of disgust or chill. It is anger that causes her to shudder, repent, and vomit. This is the training ground. A place like this is used as a training ground. This space containing rotten moisture, the smell of corpses, and infinite worms is the "room" given to the successor of the Matou family.

"――――――――!" What can one learn in such a place? The only thing here is breeding stock. Worms to breed. Worms to raise. Worms to train. The people of Matou have trained, urged, and bred their successor with these worms――――

―――How different is this world from her own?

The cold-hearted ways, the difficulty of the tasks, and the pain of the engraved Magic Circuit. She's not comparing the severity as the successor. If one is to talk about the burdened sufferings and the harshness, hers is incomparable. She overcame more difficulties and hardships than anyone. That is why she is a genius magus and an Average One, the user of the five elements, that the Magic Association is accepting as a scholarship student.

If one orders her to command the worms in this room, she will be able to create a superior spell in half a year. Rin can create a spell that the successor of the Matou family has been unable to create even after ten years.

But―――this method of learning is madness. If asked whether she could withstand being violated by these worms, she can only hesitate.

The inheritance of the magic here is not a study, but a torture. A magic that is taught not to the mind, but to the body. That is how the Makiris pass on their magic, and this is the preference of the old magus, Matou Zouken. Therefore… To be chosen as the successor of the Matou family means to be tortured forever――――

"――――Rin." "…I know. Zouken isn't here. He either ran away or has another secret base. …Either way, there aren't any clues here, so we should get going." She leaves the stone room, suppressing her urge to scream.

Her footsteps fade. …After that. The worms swarm around what she has vomited out.

She returns to the ground floor. Her business finished, she makes for the door, and―――― "Shinji. You're there, aren't you? It's no use hiding." She calls out to the person hiding in the other secret pathway.

"――――! Tohsaka, you…" "…Hmph. I was going to ignore you and go home, but I've changed my mind. Let's talk for a bit, Matou-kun." "――――――――!" Matou Shinji glares at Rin, but follows her request.

…He is obviously afraid of her. His fear is not because of facing a Master and her Servant, but rather because of the threatening attitude she's taking.

"D-Don't kid me. I have nothing to talk about. First of all, the Tohsaka family shouldn't associate with the Matou family. Why are you here?" "Oh? We both go to the same school. I don't think it's strange for me to come over."

"Hah, don't make me laugh. You break the lock, search through my house, and then call it 'coming over'? …Heh, so I guess it's true that you lost your manners after your dad died. What a pack of morons. Since when did the Tohsaka family start acting like burglars?"

"Is that how I looked? …Hmm, that's not such a bad idea. There's nothing here worth stealing, but burglars do more than that, don't they? They go into violent rages when they're found. ―――Yes, I do want to act like a burglar right now." She's joking. But she isn't smiling at all. Tohsaka Rin is coldly staring at Matou Shinji, who has his back to the wall.

"……! Y-You idiot, you're wrong! I have nothing to do with Zouken! I didn't know what that old bastard was doing until now…!" "――――Yeah? So why did you become a Master?" "…! That's because――――"

A gritting sound. Even though he is cornered by Tohsaka, he swallows his words. He was willing to tell her anything she wanted to know about the old man. This girl is dangerous right now. There's no telling what she will do if he keeps quiet. ―――In the worst case… She might simply kill him out of rage.

"Because?" "――――Because…" But he can't say it. Telling her why he became a Master is like asking for death.

Even if…

"Then I'll say it for you. You just wanted to act like a magus. You're a failure and can't be a magus, so you wanted the Holy Grail to make you one. You have no other goal. You're a coward that wanted proof to hide your powerlessness."

…It's something trivial for others.

"……! Tohsaka, you…!" "Am I wrong? You didn't have a Magic Circuit even though you were born to the Matou family. But that's not your fault. The Matou blood was fading away anyway. The duty of the Matou family as the seeker was fading away from the time you people came here. But you persisted. You thought it was special to be special, and you demanded something you didn't need. You can't be a magus even if you obtained a Magic Circuit like that, but you clung to the special right that should've been given to you."

"D-Don't talk like you know everything…! Don't talk bullshit! I can't be a magus…!? How do you know that――――!?" "I can tell. I can say with certainty that you will never be a magus, even if you obtain the Holy Grail. You just don't have the talent. That's the difference between you and Emiya-kun."

"What…?" His jaw drops. That name is unexpected for Matou Shinji. It's fine if Tohsaka Rin opposes him as a Master. He expected that.

But it cannot be possible for Emiya Shirou's name to come from her lips. He is just an amateur. He isn't from a family of magi, nor is he suited to be a Master. It's too much for him to have Saber, so why is his name coming out of Tohsaka Rin's mouth――――!?

"Ha――――Hah. What? Stop that, Tohsaka. Why are you talking about Emiya!?" "Because he's stronger than you. And he has the right qualities to be a magus. Emiya Shirou has something Matou Shinji does not. …Yes, he doesn't have the talent, just like you. But he has the quality to be a magus. He is the best at it, and it's something he won't lose in."

"He's the best!? Him!? Hah, don't make me laugh, Tohsaka…! There's nothing he has that I don't have! He's the one who's got nothing! He's just a lucky bastard that made a contract with Saber…!"

Shinji's hatred for Shirou must have blown his fears away, as he now faces Rin straight on. The girl sighs and shrugs her shoulders.

"……I see. I guess you really are beyond help if you don't understand after all this. I thought I'd hold you responsible, but you're not even worth it. I'll let you go, so go run to the church before Emiya-kun beats you."

She turns her back on him. Telling him she has no business here. She heads for the door, not even bothering to treat Shinji as an enemy.

"I――――I'm inferior to Emiya…?" His voice burns with hatred. But he can do nothing but watch her go. He'll surely be killed if he attacks her here. Even Matou Shinji can see the difference in their powers.

"Tohsaka――――you, you……!" A voice filled with deep resentment. "――――――Geez, I guess it can't be helped." She stops, and says goodbye to the boy that used to be the successor.

"Fine, this is the end, so I'll tell you. Those who aim farther for others' sake. Those who think of others before themselves. …And those who hate themselves more than anyone. These are the qualities of a magus. There is a place you can't reach, no matter how much talent you have. …Humph. I never thought anyone would meet this condition. This is a contradiction you can only have if you're born broken."

"Shinji. You're a good example of someone who nurtures a needless inferiority complex by despising others. You love yourself so much that you believe everyone else is below you, even when they are superior in every way. …You're empty inside. The only one who thinks you're full is you, and you're just like a balloon. Your destination changes depending on the wind." "Uh――――――guh."

"Do you understand? One such as you is unfit to be a magus. A Servant would never obey such a person. This world is unrelated to you. No matter how much you consider yourself to be a Master, you can never be a Master."

―――The sound of retreating footsteps. Tohsaka Rin leaves Matou Shinji alone in the dark room.

"――――Ha. Haha, hahaha." He drops down the wall. Matou Shinji crumples down like a puppet with its strings cut and keeps laughing.

"I see. So that's how it is?" His tongue licks over dry lips. A dull sound. The boy smacks his head hard against the wall behind him, as if trying to break his skull. "――――In short… He just has to disappear, right, Tohsaka?" His laughter continues.

End of Interlude

"All right, Sakura. Rock, paper…" "Scissors!"

I stick out a clenched fist. Sakura extends an open palm. I have rock, and Sakura has paper.

"Ugh." "All right, I won!" I look at my fist. …I did it again. Why do I always use rock as my first move?

"Then I'll be cooking dinner. Please relax and watch TV or something, Senpai." Sakura skips off to the kitchen. She must be happy that she gets to make dinner all by herself.

"…Man, I guess it can't be helped. I promised whoever wins gets to cook dinner." I take off my apron and sit down. I don't know about other people, but cooking dinner seems like a favorite pastime for us.

…It's not really true for me, but Sakura always wants to cook by herself. That's good in a way, but as her Senpai, I can't let her do all the work. So when we're both bored, like today, we fight over who gets to cook.

"…I have nothing to do, so I'll just drink tea." I brew some tea and sit at the table. Saber is sleeping in my room, and Fuji-Nee won't be coming since she's working overtime. Sakura and I are the only ones here.

"――――――――" …Am I watching her because I have nothing to do? Sakura is moving briskly about the kitchen, and she looks like she's having fun.

Her familiar hair and her crimson ribbon. She handles the plates. She holds the heavy kitchen knife and places the cabbage on the cutting board.

"Hm――――!" She cuts it with a yell. Sakura tenses up every times she starts to cut something, but she keeps cooking like she's used to it after that.

"――――――――" I watch it absent-mindedly. The evening living room. A daily life here with Sakura, where time passes slowly.

I suddenly realize how hard this life is to obtain. …It must be because I'll be going to battle at night. I finally realize how important this time is for me.

"…Yeah. I have to protect Sakura." I don't know what Matou Zouken is planning, but I won't let him touch her. I've come in contact with Sakura too many times the past few days, causing me to be bewildered about her change.

…I thought I was confused by her femininity. But that's wrong. If I'm confused, it started long before that.

I hear her humming in the kitchen.

…These simple, trivial things are important to me. I pour myself a third cup of tea and watch the red-tinted scenery. Maybe there's some alcohol in the tea, because the passing time feels slow and tender.

―――The town falls asleep. It's just past ten o'clock, but it seems like it's midnight. It must be because of all the unexplained comas. There are no lights, and nobody is walking about.

"Finding the shadow and investigating it――――Archer's Master has given us quite the reckless request." "Yeah. But we have to do it. Are you against it, Saber?"

"…I told you my opinion this morning. So, do you have any clues? We might find ourselves being the target if we wander about aimlessly."

…A clue, huh? I'm not positive, but――――

#votestaynight

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