un; emiyashirou

[hero_of_her]

[The young man that appears on the video looks extremely nervous and uncomfortable.]

Listen, with everything going on lately I haven't been able to...

[He sighs, starts over. He hates this. Asking for help is so hard, but he isn't the only one at risk if here.]

I noticed a while back that the more Chroma I have the easier it is to deal with... well... A particular situation that I have at hand. [Oh man, that terrible pun wasn't on purpose and he looks even more uncomfortable realizing that he did it.]

But I'm not very good at collecting Chroma. I have someone back home and I don't want to betray her. I was thinking, though, that for the brief time she was here she was pretty clear that she didn't want me to suffer.

I don't want to either, I guess. [That part is up for debate.]

This is me asking for people willing to help me out.

[He looks frustrated at the whole idea as soon as he says it.]

You know what, nevermind. This is stupid.

Comments

[homomculous]

And I'll keep my eyes a little more open. That's a promise, then.

[She pulls back enough to kiss him on the forehead.]

It's sealed. No breaking it now.

[hero_of_her]

[He was not expecting a kiss and he blushes as the reality of it settles in.]

Uh. That's right. A promise.

[homomculous]

Exactly.

So, are you feeling a little better?

[hero_of_her]

I am not. The hug helps. [The kiss too, but he's going pretend that never happened.]

[homomculous]

Good. But just standing here in the doorway holding onto each other doesn't seem like the best method of rebuilding your Chroma. Why don't we sit down?

[hero_of_her]

Oh. Right.

[He offers her an apologetic smile and then pulls away so they can go find a place to sit together.

Once they're settled down.]

Can I ask you something? [They might as well talk while they sit.]

[homomculous]

[It's not a very long walk, she just guides him out into the living room so they can plop down on the couch.

And smiles fondly at him when he asks that.]

Anything you like, Shirou.

[hero_of_her]

[It is surprisingly easy for him to sit next to her.]

How did you meet my dad?

[homomculous]

[That question brightens her up like almost nothing else.]

Oh that story! I'm a little surprised he hasn't related it to you by now, but that just means I get the chance to. Well, it was about twelve or so years ago by my estimate. Your father came to the Einzbern Castle having been hired on to serve as the Master in the Grail War. He believed he could use the Grail to achieve his dream.

[Her face falls for a moment as she considers how that turned out, but only for a moment.]

Grandfather Acht showed him the entity that would become the grail, that is to say, myself. I wasn't... all that aware at this time, but I know Kiritsugu objected to me simply being left as a puppet, lacking survival skills or any way to defend myself. Acht responded by tossing me out into the wilderness to see if I could survive. Kiritsugu quickly came to my rescue and took on the task of educating and looking after me himself. I'm certain he didn't expect me to adapt and learn so quickly, but in a couple of years I'd become... more or less who I am now. At the very least, I can look at who I was then and see her as "myself".