#x Emiya : Shirou : Despair Fate

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@more-than-a-princess ✏️ (But for the Shirous, Van, -and- El Melloi)

Sonia (non-despair): I think I should be allowed on ghost hunter tv shows. Shirou(non-despair): I think that would be dangerous for the ghosts.

Sonia, to Shirou (non-despair): Please, picking locks is my specialty. Sonia (non-despair): *throws a brick through the window* Sonia (non-despair): Okay, let’s go.

Sonia: Just so everyone knows, don't ever try to climb a tree at night carrying a strobe light, owls DON'T like it. Shirou: ...what happened ? Sonia: I made a VERY bad mistake

Shirou: I don’t mean to be rude— Sonia: Yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often.

Van: Remember, violence is never the answer. Sonia: You're right, Van.. Violence can't be the answer. Van: Correct, Sonia. Now, on to the next lesso- Sonia: Violence is the question. Sonia: And the answer is yes ! Van: Sonia, no !!

Sonia: I want to kiss you. Van, not paying attention: What ? Sonia: I said if you die, I wont miss you.

Sonia, T-posing in the doorway: Greetings, El-Melloi II. El-Melloi II, not looking up from their coffee: Good morning, problem child.

El-Melloi II: I am going to need you to swear- Sonia: Fuck. El-Melloi II: El-Melloi II: ...swear as in promise.

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❝ ... Oh no.❞ He had seen and experienced the worst mankind has to offer, events that no-one should endure and would bring one to the brink of insanity -- but Sonia's cooking is its own special brand of despairing.

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@more-than-a-princess​ ❝ look at all this. thought you retired? ❞ (For one of the older Shirous. What has Sonia discovered him doing now?)

❝ Did I? ❞ the reply came naturally before the bodyguard turned prospect fiancée turned to see the queen. Certainly it might have been some talks to have Shirou reallocated to some of the better quarters of the castle but he hasn’t been bothered so far or would even acknowledge that his status now was so much more different than when he first arrived. One thing that changed, however, is that he’d ended up amassing a small arsenal. In fact, most of them were now in full display in his restrictive chambers. ❝ I was performing some maintenance, don’t mind the mess. ❞ there was some amusement to be had at Sonia’s expanse even if it wasn’t his original intention. Sitting on a chair, Shirou’s hand moved along the forestock of the sniper rifle he’d been cleaning, most of the other parts like the sling, the trigger and the barrel, had been disassembled and were present on the desk before him. The scope case was also nearby, although it was a part he hardly had any use for. His bed was completely occupied by all sorts of disassembled firearms of the most varied range strewn about and a few combat knives – not produced by his magecraft, but plain traditional ones. ❝ While I do like swords better sometimes you need to be practical. ❞ Shirou informed her, placing the component on the table and standing up. ❝ What I owe the pleasure? Should we go somewhere else?❞ a small bedroom chockfull of weapons might not be the best place for someone who had survived an assassination attempt -- his botch up, that hopefully she’ll never know. Some secrets are better this way, like a bullet never fired from its chambers.

[cantillat-moved]

tag drop

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@more-than-a-princess​ “You were crying in your sleep.” (CHOO CHOO THE ANGST TRAIN IS HERE. For Shirou or Emiya, please pick whatever part in our timeline you like) Nᴏᴛɪᴄɪɴɢ Tʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ sᴇɴᴛᴇɴᴄᴇ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀs

The wind carried the lament of those still clinging on to life, the crimson inferno reaching the blood tainted night sky as the world around me turned into ashes. Tall buildings toppled, reduced to rumble in an instant as if they were sandcastles against the elements. Perhaps I was really lucky or my house was built in the right spot – the last memories of my home were screams of a familiar voice that I couldn’t recognize, a voice that should have been comforting twisted by despair. A warmth whiskered me away, but before long I was standing by myself in hell. I cover my ears, trying to ignore the deafening screams but find no relief, no matter how hard I try – it is like the wail is being drilled straight into my skull, their agony burning my lungs. I press my arms against my head, feeling the blood pumping along with the never-ending cry for salvation that would never come. I couldn’t help myself and certainly wasn’t able to do anything for those around me. Those who tried ended up joining the ranks of the dead. My face hurts, the tears running out and immediately drying up from the extreme heat. It was hard do see, it was hard to tell if it was because of my eyes being blurry or if my brain was trying to refuse the reality around me, living carcasses writhing in their struggle to cling on to anything despite no longer belonging to this world. I don’t belong to this world either, and I will be unable to escape it. The walls of flame were an inexpugnable barrier, keeping all the souls trapped inside that place of torment – everything turning to cinders around me, even hope. I drag my tired body, walking feels unnatural. My legs are heavy and the act of placing one in front of the other is a laborious act. Everything became numb but, at the same time, there was this piercing feeling in every inch of my body.

Yet, I survived so I should live on. I must keep on going because                                                       if I stop death will catch up with me.     There is nothing left for me                                                       but I still must keep going. My heart died.

Grasping for air, his heart was racing and his body covered in cold sweat as he jolted up. Concerned pale sea blue gaze watched over him as he tousled and struggled. An ache overtook his body, the adrenaline still rushing throughout his veins. Taking short breaths to calm himself down, the boy took a moment to recognize his room and get his wits about him, slowly becoming aware of the situation: an invitation for a dinner at the Emiya resident turned longer than originally intended, as usual, and the host offered a room for the princess to stay overnight. Laughs, warm meals and good company, it had been a very pleasing evening. One by one the other guests had left until only Shirou and Sonia remained, leading to some more conversation and even some mindless movie that was merely an excuse for more interactions and engagement until it was the time for bed. It had been a very long time since he had a nightmare and he’d known they could be rather terrifying for those unaware. Sitting up, his hand running throughout his copper hair, the crimson flames still in the corner of his mind and the heat still lingering in his body like ten years ago. There was a slight sensation of nausea from the stress, but he tried to smile.

❝ Did I wake you up? I had a nightmare, that’s all. ❞ The dismissal came naturally, his throat hurt – was it because of the dream or was he screaming? Guilt took over, the last thing he wanted was to disturb Sonia or to have her worried about him.

[cantillat-moved]

@more-than-a-princess​ "Shirou, I do like it when you take time to relax in my office," Sonia began gently. It had to be phrased just right: she didn't want to offend him. She truly didn't even want to change the situation at hand: save for the fact that she had a stack of unread suggestions for new charity initiatives and two speeches she needed to look over thoroughly. But even royalty were subject to pink cheeks and immense difficulty in trying to keep eye contact.

"But please...could you put on a shirt and button your trousers? It's just that I'm finding it very hard to concentrate with you. Laying down. Like this."

The Queen was doing her best to look him in the eye and not in the abs.

She was failing pretty miserably in that attempt.

Sitting by the window and basking in the sun, the queen’s romantic partner was quietly reading a book and being distracting on purpose – you see, Shirou may be a little slow at times yet he’d been growing increasingly aware over time and this setup has been carefully planned to be disruptive to the young queen’s attention as possible. The angle of the shadows was favorable to highlight his toned muscles, his pure white hair gently falling on his face and the glasses adding to some charm. Lowering his book, his steel gaze met her wandering features, his neutral expression concealing the secret satisfaction of watching her so distressed. Lowering his book and sitting up, Shirou adjusted his glasses on his features.

❝ Oh? Am I being a distraction? I didn’t notice, my apologies. ❞ That was a lie: he took full notice and advantage. Sonia had been working non-stop for a while, he wanted to be as distracting as humanly possible so she could take a break. That was his masterplan. This was one of the rare occasions that he would rather ask forgiveness than permission. ❝ Hmn… It appears that I have left my shirt elsewhere. Surely you wouldn’t want me to walk around like this. ❞ he buttoned his trousers, placing the book on the stand next to him and moving closer to Sonia, standing right next to her and placing one of his hands on her table and leaning closer. ❝ What are you working on today? Perhaps I could be of some assistance. ❞

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@more-than-a-princess​ "I don't want us to be apart anymore, ever, because I am falling in love with you." - to Emiya. Because two prompts are better than one and Sonia doesn't have to think about if she's falling for him or not: she knows she is. And has been for longer than she realizes.

sᴀᴄʀᴇᴅ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs

For the longest time his path was set – to become a Hero of Justice he would have to let go of many things, to be free of attachments and dedicate his body and soul to help others. Emiya alone survived the fire, a miracle that he wasn’t sure he deserved – as a kid, he wasn’t any better than all the others who perished that day. It was a gift that he would never be able to repay and he certainly shouldn’t wish for any more than he had already been given – that includes modest happiness that most people take for granted: a domestic life, comfortable routine, someone to greet you when you arrive home, to be the last thing you see when you go to sleep and the first sight when you wake up the following day. Until that moment his life was filled with adventures and struggles, meeting and partings. The wanderer surely met beautiful women, being loved more than most people, only for the flame to fizzle out once the mission was over and they went their different ways. …Somehow this time he stayed. It was supposed to be a quick mission: even if he would risk burning his relationship with the Future Foundation the mercenary would take up the contract to act as the queen’s bodyguard to get close enough to kill her – the Remnants of Despair, those who brought the entire world to their knees and spread ruin that would take generations to overcome, if not downright destroying mankind itself or at least civilization as they knew it. In a sense, she was an enemy of the world itself, someone that a hero like him should eliminate for the greater good despite his personal feelings about her. After the failed attempt he would learn the truth about her predicament and made a vow to himself: from that point onward he would protect her. Sonia had been brainwashed into failing into despair, a vulnerability in her heart had been exploited  -- it didn’t mean she was innocent but the queen wished for atonement and would spend the rest of her days shouldering the responsibility of her action, seeking a redemption that might elude her forevermore.

He never expect to truly fall in love with her. He never expect to be loved in turn.

❝ You have knighted me, haven’t you? I’m yours to serve, to be by your side. The truth is that I have decided to devote myself to you long before that; I have known that I love you for a while now. ❞