Disclaimer: I own nothing
XxX
The look she was giving him could be attributed to that he was sitting on a bed in her room. And although it was their room, she didn't seem to find it worth talking about as she just continued to glare at him.
"…"
"…"
They both said nothing as they just continued to stare at each other, one nervous beyond compare, the other judging, waiting for a reason to throw the other out of the room.
This continued for a few more seconds, before Shirou just sighed, making the other occupant of the room narrow her eyes dangerously. "Listen Hou-"
A glare, and he coughed to regain his composure.
"Shinonono-san," He tried tentatively, and it seemed to be enough as Houki just stared at him blankly. "We'll need to establish ground rules." He told her, and that was enough to make the woman ease her glare slightly.
"First we'll need to establish bathroom rules, what time will you be free to use the bathroom for your baths and other activities?" He asked without a stutter. And this made Houki blush red at the thought of talking about this so openly with a man.
"Y-y-you-!" Before Houki could shout at him however, Shirou raised a hand to stop whatever she was going to say.
"I'm merely trying to set up a schedule where we will not have conflictions. I would not want for any accidents to happen to you, and to me for that matter." Shirou said as he crossed his arms and stared at Houki with unwavering eyes, Houki had to look away. It was as if he was talking to a child.
Shirou saw her look away from him, and he sighed in response, garnering her attention. "Listen," Shirou began tentatively as he picked up a bag from beside the bed he was sitting on. "I'll use the bathroom for now, I'd like you to think about this situation thoroughly, if you find that it is too uncomfortable for you to share a room with a man you barely know, please tell me after I use the bathroom so I may find another place to sleep tonight." Shirou said; a deep maturity in his voice and eyes that surprised Houki.
Houki watched him stand and move towards the bathroom by the front door in silence, her gaze didn't waver even after he took one last look towards her, and shook his head as he entered and closed the door behind him.
For a few seconds, Houki just sat there, quietly even after she heard the shower start running in the bathroom. She looked on calmly without saying a word as she only stared forward. If one would see her now, they would see a humanized calm before a storm.
They would have been horribly wrong.
In truth, Houki was inwardly panicking inside her mind, racing through thoughts that included sharing a room with a stranger, a male, and being seen walking together since they shared a room and had the same classes.
She tried to force out any of those thoughts out of her mind, but found it was difficult to do so without blushing madly at the thoughts of what rumors would spring up. She wasn't normally one to get flustered, but this was a good a time as any to be so. You didn't share a room with a stranger with beds right next to each other on the first day. It would have been better if her roommate was a woman.
So deep was she in her thoughts that she didn't notice the door being knocked on until a voice rang out from the other side.
"Houki-san?" A familiar voice of a curly-haired blonde woman sounded from the other side, taking Houki away from her inner thoughts. "Houki-san? Are you there?" The voice tried again, this time, knocking slightly harder on the wooden door.
"Ah, coming!" Houki shouted her reply as she stood from her claimed bed. She gave the bed Shirou was sitting on one glance, before she looked forward to get the door.
Houki opened the door swiftly, and she was greeted with the nervously smiling Cecilia Alcott. Houki gave her a questioning stare, before Cecilia spoke up.
"Good evening Houki-san, can I come in? I would like to talk to you about something." Cecilia said, nervously shuffling as she refused to meet Houki's stare.
Houki crossed her arms and frowned, an act that seemed to make Cecilia tense up slightly. "I'm sorry, but my room is a mess now. Whatever you have to say, can you tell me later?" She said in a slightly harsher tone than she would have liked. Some of her earlier annoyance for the woman in front of her showing as she did so.
Cecilia shifted slightly again, but this time looking left and right as if to look for anyone eavesdropping. Seeing no one in the immediate vicinity, Cecilia nodded her head. "I would just like to apologize for my rudeness earlier this day." Cecilia began, making Houki narrow her eyes slightly, but otherwise, allowed the blonde to continue. "I was out of line assuming that I knew who you were and what you went through, it was rude and extremely uncouth for my part, and I hope you may forgive me." Cecilia finished.
For a few seconds, Cecilia looked unsure, but then she shook her head slightly, and gave Houki a small bow. Houki raised an eyebrow at that, but otherwise didn't stop her.
For a few more seconds, neither of the two spoke, only an awkward silence permeated the halls and the open doorway. But Houki soon sighed before she nodded her head. "Your Japanese is great and your manners are spot on." Houki complimented. Cecilia straightened herself and gave Houki a wide smile.
"Of course," She said with a small bout of arrogance in her. An arrogance that only made Houki sigh. It looks like she still has a high opinion of herself. "If I entered this prestigious academy without so much as knowing about the country and the language it speaks, well I would look like a fool would I not?" Cecilia said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Houki only gave her a small smile before she moved to the side to give the blonde room to enter. "Come in then, but don't stay too long. It's almost curfew." Houki warned. Cecilia could only smile as she nodded her head and entered the rather small room, Houki closing the door behind her.
Cecilia looked around the room approvingly. "It's not really that messy," Cecilia commented, making Houki just look at her with a blank expression.
"I only said that to make you go away." Houki said truthfully and with a shrug. This made Cecilia laugh awkwardly as she looked at Houki.
"Please, take a seat." Houki offered as she went towards the refrigerator. For a second, she thought of something, before she turned towards Cecilia, who had taken a seat on her bed. "I don't have tea, but would water do for now?" She asked, and Cecilia nodded.
"Water is just fine Houki-san, but please don't do too much." Cecilia said. Houki just shook her head.
"It's not much; I don't have a lot of things here." She said as she took out the water pitcher and got a glass of water from the nearby sink. Cecilia took this opportunity to look over the rather Spartan room.
There wasn't much aside from the things the Academy gave the other rooms, which included a small plasma TV, two beds, a small kitchen that consisted of a refrigerator, a sink, and an electric stove, and a phone between the two beds. She would have said there was the dividers between the beds, but it was simply intended to be there in the wall.
The only thing that really stood out was the corner by the balcony window, it held two shinai with a bokken leaning into the wall. Cecilia raised an eyebrow at seeing two shinai, but otherwise didn't give it any thought.
Cecilia turned towards Houki, who had seated herself across from her. She gladly took the offered glass and took a sip, before she looked on at Houki. Who was looking at her with a look of indifference.
"So Houki-san," Cecilia began, trying not to sound nervous when in reality, she was extremely so. Houki raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you think of-" Cecilia paused as a frown began to mar her beautiful face. "-Of Emiya?" She finished with a slight huff.
Houki raised an eyebrow at the sudden question and the way she had said that. As far as she knew, Shirou hadn't really done anything to antagonize Cecilia, aside from him being in this Academy that is.
Houki crossed her arms and thought for a moment. "I guess if I had to say what I feel about him," Houki stopped for a second before she nodded her head. "I guess I'm indifferent to him." She told Cecilia truthfully.
Cecilia seemed unsatisfied with her answer as she shook her head in disdain. "But what he did to you, he embarrassed you! And he obviously has another agenda about it as well! He was looking at you in class openly! Doesn't that embarrass you and make you at least a bit wearier of him?" Cecilia asked, her voice increasing in volume steadily as she finished her sentence. Houki only regarded her with a calm stare.
"As far as I know, he has been rather forthcoming with me. He has apologized and stated that he wouldn't be doing that again. There is no reason to doubt his words." Houki said as she stared at Cecilia.
Cecilia shook her head. "And there is no reason to trust his words as well." She countered, making Houki frown.
"I never said I trusted him," Houki began as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I just said there's no reason to distrust his words, seeing as he has yet to lie to me about anything." Houki finished with a sigh.
"And honestly," Houki continued as she uncrossed her arms and stared at the still confused looking Cecilia. "I have no idea why you hate him so much, he hasn't even made a move to talk to you Alcott, yet you continue to antagonize him whenever you get the chance." Houki pointed out, making Cecilia narrow her eyes at her words.
"Are you saying you'll take his side over mine? Your fellow woman?" She challenged as she placed the glass down on the nearby end table. Houki shook her head negatively, looking positively exasperated at Cecilia's words.
"I didn't say that!" She shouted in frustration. "I just meant that it isn't justified in the slightest! If someone who you barely know comes up to you and antagonizes you at every step you take, would you be so kind as to ignore them pointedly? Even if said person embarrasses you in front of the class?" Houki asked, her eyes pointedly narrow. Cecilia frowned at her words, but otherwise shook her head.
"Of course not." She said calmly, quite opposite of Houki's earlier passionate tirade. "I wouldn't let them get away with it in the slightest. I'd fight back." Cecilia stated as she too crossed her arms. Her blue eyes boring into Houki's amber ones.
"Then you shouldn't take advantage of Emiya-san's patience." Houki stated. "A man can only-"
"Don't talk about men like they deserve to be treated with respect!" Houki flinched at the sheer volume and passion in Cecilia's voice. "All men are the same, they are lecherous, perverted, and get off with sick fantasies that often include women. They treat women as an object and they only look out for themselves." Cecilia's voice grew softer as she continued to speak. "They never once think about the way a woman would feel." These last few words weren't heard by Houki, but she raised an eyebrow at how much those words seemed to drain the blonde woman in front of her.
For a few seconds, there was only an awkward silence. Neither woman spoke to each other, and neither woman looked at the other. They only stared at random places as each was lost in their own thoughts.
It wasn't until they both heard a door sliding open, did Houki finally remember they had talked about her roommate. Her roommate that had been in the bathroom the whole time.
"Y-y-you!" Cecilia's voice suddenly erupted as she stood up and pointed at the red-haired teen. Shirou didn't bother giving her a glance.
Instead, Shirou turned towards Houki, and quietly raised an eyebrow in question. For a few seconds, Houki didn't say anything. Too frozen at the thought that Shirou had heard their entire conversation. She only snapped out her thoughts as Shirou sighed, and went towards the bed she was sitting on.
"Don't come near Houki-san you letch!" Cecilia warned as she pulled her arm back. A faint hum of something began to permeate the otherwise noiseless room as she did so.
This time, Shirou did look at Cecilia, but not at her directly. He looked towards the arm she had by her back, and noticed that there was a faint glowing to it. He stood there and stared at it for a few seconds, before he shook his head and went towards the bed once more.
"I said don't come near Hou-"
"I'll notify the president Shinonono-san, but for now, can I just leave some of my stuff in this room for pickup?" Shirou asked politely as he picked up another bag from beside the bed, and placed his previous bag on the floor.
Without waiting for an answer from Houki, Shirou turned around and went for the door. The soft hissing sound of the door opening echoed through the room. But Shirou wasn't exiting just yet.
Shirou stood at the open door for a few seconds, before he turned his body slightly. Looking over his shoulder to look at Cecilia. His golden orbs met Cecilia's blue ones, and she soon found out that she couldn't really look away from them.
"I don't know what happened to you Alcott to make you distrust men this badly," Shirou began, his golden orbs flashed for a moment, but it was so fast that Cecilia thought she had imagined it. "But it would be wise to let go of the past and continue moving forward." He told her, and then turned back towards the door. Walking out of the now silent room.
It wasn't until the door had fully closed, did Houki finally realize why Shirou had looked at her with a questioning stare. He was asking her if she still wanted him to be her roommate.
And she didn't give an answer.
Mechanized Magus
XxX
"…-ke up." He groaned as he shuffled slightly, pulling his knees closer to his body as he tried to ignore voice that was so noisy.
"…-ake up!" It was louder this time, but otherwise, he didn't pay it any mind. He turned in his sleep, enjoying the smell of grass that entered his nostrils as he felt sleep begin to take him once more.
"…." He reveled in the silence, and he felt his consciousness fading away once more. He could feel his thoughts fading as he drifted off to sleep.
But it didn't last long.
"I said-!" The voice's rising tone and angry demeanor alerted him of danger. He felt his instincts take over, and, a second later, he was wide awake. "-Wake up!"
He rolled out-of-the-way as a heavy book proceeded to land on the place where he laid his head a moment ago. But he didn't stop with just rolling away, his legs swept on the ground, intent on knocking his attacker down.
He saw his attacker jump in the air, letting his leg slide past her legs, before she landed and proceeded to give him a…..
Bonk!
Swift hit on the head. Shirou growled in pain as he rolled on the ground, clutching his aching head as he did so. "Damn it Rin!" He said out of reflex, but the voice that followed was most certainly not Rin.
"Idiot," The stern voice said, Shirou looked up, only to find his homeroom teacher standing over his beaten form. Arms crossed with a look of death written all over her face. Her black suit and long hair flowing as the early morning wind picked them up. "What are you doing sleeping out here when you have a room assigned to you?" She asked, her stern expression never wavering.
Shirou then proceeded to sit up while rubbing the back of his battered head. From that attack alone, Shirou knew that she was trained. Highly trained to have dodged his swift sweep of her legs.
Shirou stopped rubbing his head as he looked up at her, leaning back as he did so. "Problems with my roommate. I was going to ask the President if I could get another room, but it happened a little late and I never got to talk to them." Shirou stated as he stretched his arms over his head. He looked down, and found that his white uniform was stained by dirt and grime. A couple of grass leaves were sticking onto it.
"You got into a fight with your roommate?" Chifuyu asked. Shirou sighed before he shook his head and proceeded to stand, wiping away any dirt that he could.
"Not really a fight," Shirou said monotonously. "We just both agreed that it wasn't good for a man and a woman to share a room without knowing each other intimately." Shirou stated. It wasn't exactly a lie, but he was withholding information. Hopefully, his homeroom teacher wouldn't catch on.
"You're not telling me something." And of course, Rin's lessons with telling half-truths would just be brushed aside by this observant woman.
Shirou sighed before he nodded his head. "Yeah I am," He confirmed. He never looked at his homeroom teacher, but he could tell she was giving him a scowl. "But that's my business, not yours." He told her as he looked at her, locking eyes with the older woman.
For a minute, neither spoke, only observing each other through their eyes. Finally, it was Chifuyu who broke the silence, as well as the staring contest. "Don't disrespect me," She warned, before she moved past him. "Now come on, class will be starting soon. Get yourself cleaned up before you-" She cut herself off, before she turned around and looked Shirou over one more time. "On second thought, come in as you are now." She said, making Shirou look at her with wide eyes that asked if she was crazy.
Chifuyu only scowled. "That's an order. Now pick up your bag and come on. March!" She barked, and Shirou found himself compelled to do as he was told. He quickly picked up his bag and ran/marched towards his class.
As Shirou passed Chifuyu, he never noticed the intense stare Chifuyu was giving him as he did so.
'That man is just like me.' She thought as she thought back on the eyes of Shirou. Those brown eyes that shined golden under the light, there was a dullness in them that you only see when see War. When you see people die, when you see people killed, and when you yourself kills.
'I have to keep a closer eye on him, Tabane might just have a field day with this one if he's not careful.' She thought before she proceeded to walk again.
Chifuyu had no idea just how correct she was in her thoughts.
XxX
Shirou arrived a few minutes later, slightly out of breath, but otherwise having a huge lead from Chifuyu. He slid open the door and proceeded to enter, purposely ignoring the blank stares and the pointing at his dirty clothes. It didn't help that his bag was olive-green; it looked like he had gone camping the entire night and had slept on the grassy dirt.
It didn't matter evem if that was the truth.
He proceeded to his seat, taking one glance towards his seatmate, who was giving him a guilty stare, before he took his eyes away from her, and allowed his gaze to shift towards his seat. He placed his green bag on the floor next to his desk, and proceeded to unceremoniously plop down on his desk with a sigh.
This action caused the women around him to look at him with wide eyes and strange looks. But he didn't pay them any mind; he leaned back onto his chair and stared at the ceiling. Hoping to block out the sounds and voices that came from pointing and talking about him.
He was vaguely aware of Houki staring at him, as well as another pair of eyes from behind him looking at the back of his head.
"U-uhm," He heard Houki begin from the seat next to him. He opened his eyes and looked over towards her, but she wasn't look at him. She was looking down on the ground with a guilty look in her eyes. "E-Emiya-san?" She began tentatively.
Shirou tilted his head towards her, his eyes asking what she wanted to say to him.
"About last night," She began tentatively. Shirou only furrowed his eyebrows, not at all understanding why she was so nervous. There was nothing to be nervous, nor was there anything to be guilty about. Did she accidentally open his bag and saw his stuff by any chance?
"What about last night?" He asked her, genuinely confused about why she was brining up last night. Houki only looked at him with wide eyes.
"Y-you slept outside right?" She asked, her voice holding a bit of guilt in them. Shirou finally got why she was so jittery. She was guilty that he slept outside? That wasn't really that big a deal.
"It's no problem Houki-san." He stated with a smile, using Houki's first name to ease the tension a bit. It seemed to work somewhat, as Houki visibly relaxed, albeit only slightly.
"But you slept on the ground outside right? That's why you're dirty right now right?" Houki asked, and this only made Shirou smile.
"Yeah, but like I said. It's not a problem at all." He smiled a reassuring smile, but that didn't seem to work, as she was continuing to look at him with a guilt ridden face. Shirou sighed, but before he could try to reassure her again. A figure appeared right in front of him, a blonde curly-haired figure in fact.
Shirou gave Cecilia a blank look. "Good morning Alcott-san, can I help you?" He asked her, trying to act decent so as not to anger the already angry woman… Why was she so angry this early in the morning?
"…." Cecilia didn't say anything, she only continued to stare down at him, a look of loathing in her face, as well as righteous indignation. And for a few more seconds, neither spoke. It wasn't until Cecilia slammed both her hands on Shirou's desk, did the silence finally break. Along with the chatter of the other students around the room.
"I advise you to no longer talk to Houki-san, Emiya." She warned, making Shirou raise an eyebrow at the warning.
He opened his mouth to ask her why, but she cut him off. "It is obvious that you are some sort of stalker that has been following Houki-san since you saw her win the Kendo championships last year." She stated without a hint of shame, she sounded confident in her accusation, and she didn't seem like she would back down. Even if he was going to correct her. "I don't know what you pulled to get yourself in this Academy, but I will tell you this. You stay away from Houki-san if you know what's good for you." She warned him as she narrowed her eyes at him. Shirou could only give her a blank look, not bothering to correct her in any way.
For awhile, neither spoke, one only gave the other a blank look, whilst the other was staring at the other like they were a sick excuse of a human being. The other women in the room could only look, apprehension and tension in their faces as they stared on at the scene playing in front of them.
Finally, the silence was broken. It was broken by Shirou sighing and shaking his head in a sign of exasperation. He took one last glance at Cecilia, before he looked away. Pointedly ignoring her, this only served to irk her even more.
"Listen you!" She shouted, once more slamming her hands on Shirou's desk. Shirou gave her a bored look, raising an eyebrow in question at why she just did that. "Stay away from Houki-san! And the other women too for that matter! You obviously have a very good connections to get yourself in this prestigious academy, but let me tell you that those connections are useless unless you actually can pilot an IS!" She shouted at him.
At her last few words, Shirou finally seemed to react, straightening himself and then allowing his eyes to lock with Cecilia's. Cecilia, not at all expecting a reaction from Shirou, flinched slightly as Shirou's eyes locked with hers. His golden orbs showing an emotion she didn't expect him to show so soon. Annoyance.
"You think I like being here?" Shirou asked; his voice alarmingly cold as he stared into Cecilia's blue eyes. "You think I'm here because I want to be?" He asked again, this time steadily standing up as he did so, his voice increasing in volume as he steadily allowed his full height to tower over Cecilia. But his voice never lost its coolness; he never allowed it to be more than a cold voice. "I never asked to be sent to this academy you know. I never asked to have an IS suddenly respond to me just as I was passing by a door. I never wanted that IS to suddenly and autonomously take me into its body, and assimilate itself to fit me. I just happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time. And yet I get no choice but to attend an academy all because an IS responded to me?" Shirou stated, his mind drifting back to the day that it all started.
Mitsuzuri had come to him, asking him if he can come with the Archery team to Tokyo to attend an Archery tournament. She said he wouldn't be competing, and he would only be taking care of the equipment since Shinji….
He agreed of course, telling Mitsuzuri there was no need in thanking him and he would do so gladly. He never expected that the school they were going to also had entrance tests that day, both for the school itself, and for the IS academy.
Mitsuzuri had given him a break, telling him that he could go to the bathroom and get a bite to eat since he was done inspecting the equipment and that they'd call him if they needed him. He had taken them up on their offer, and proceeded out of the range to look for the nearest restroom.
What he got was an IS suddenly erupting itself from a room parallel to him and then suddenly engulfing him and assimilating itself with his body. He couldn't even mutter a word before it finally completed its assimilation, and he soon found himself encased in a metal skeleton, looking around frantically.
But that wasn't even the best part, no, that came after he had unknowingly Traced the thing. He hadn't meant to, he didn't even know if he could Trace the damn thing at all. But apparently, his inner world seemed to actually say it was a 'Sword' and promptly recorded it into his inner world. But even then, the thing in his World wasn't near as good as the real thing. It was missing something, something that was quite out of his grasp. It was like it was a 'Sword', but there was something else mixed with that word, something that he couldn't understand in the slightest.
He had been so busy in his thought that he didn't notice the approaching women, and the wide-eyed stares they were giving him.
From then on, it was a simple affair of just exiting the suit, and then pretending that nothing happened. But of course, it was never that easy.
The women had told him that he would need to attend the IS academy, since it was unheard of for a man to actually pilot an IS at all. He refused outright at first, but then they went and said something that really forced him to come here.
"This'll be all over the news!" One of the women that was supposed to be guarding the unmanned IS shouted excitedly, her friend seemed to agree as they were both sporting excited grins on their faces.
From there it's a repeat of the words he told his previous employers from the Clock Tower. He told them to keep his identity on a need to know basis, and that he didn't want his identity openly being broadcasted around the world. They agreed, albeit confused about why he would pass up on being famous. He then went back towards where the Archery tournament was happening, and then promptly placed himself on a far corner away from prying eyes, only talking and responding when he was called.
Of course, when he got home, he immediately called for Rin, and of course, with Rin came Sakura, and with Sakura came Rider. He relayed the story, and the rest was history. Regardless of the fact that Rin wanted him here albeit reluctantly, regardless of the fact that Sakura didn't want him here at all, and regardless of the fact that Rider only supported whatever decision he was going to take, he was here. And there was nothing else he could do.
He shook his head clear, focusing once more on the blonde woman in front of him giving him a wide-eyed stare. "Do not mistake my patience for kindness Alcott," He said cleanly, the fact that he didn't bother using a suffix spoke volumes of just how pissed he was at her. "You will find that you will miss my patience should you risk my ire."
Cecilia regained her composure as she hardened her eyes and glared at Shirou. "Is that a threat Emiya?" She asked, her tone challenging and serious. Shirou only gave her a blank stare.
"No, that was a warning." He told her simply, locking eyes with her once more.
For awhile, neither spoke, both only looking at the other with steel in their eyes. Even their classmates, who had been so eager to listen in to the conversation, were looking around, trying their best to avoid looking at the confrontation in front of them. Even Houki, who had been right next to the both of them and had been the start of their argument in the first place, looked extremely uncomfortable in her seat. It was only because she had been part of the conversation did she allow her gaze to never waver.
The three didn't look away until the opening of the door alerted them that their homeroom teacher had finally arrived, along with the ditzy green haired assistant.
"Sit." With one word, everyone scrambled towards their seats, not wanting to risk the ire of their strict homeroom teacher so early in the morning. Cecilia scrambled to do the same, but was stopped by their homeroom teacher.
"Except for you two," Chifuyu's voice cut through the room. Shirou looked at his homeroom teacher, raising an eyebrow in question. He didn't even need to look at Cecilia to know she too had a raised eyebrow, or perhaps wide eyes.
Chifuyu then went over towards her desk, before she leaned forward, both her hands supporting her weight as she stared at them both. "I could hear you two arguing just outside that door." She said, making Shirou flinch slightly. He didn't think he had been that loud, in fact, he thought he kept his voice rather low. But that didn't seem to matter, as his homeroom teacher seemed to have heard it either way. "This kind of behavior is unacceptable, you two are IS pilots in the same Academy, there is no conceivable reason for either of you to be on hostile terms with one another when only a day has passed since you two met." Chifuyu stated, looking at Shirou, and then over towards Cecilia.
Shirou saw one of his classmates raise a hand, slowly and steadily. Chifuyu regarded her with a stare, before she nodded her head and allowed her to talk. "A-ah Orimura-sensei," She began tentatively. "It's not, uhm, it's not Emiya-san's fault. Alcott-san has been antagonizing Emiya-san ever since yesterday." She stated. Stealing furtive glances at the person right next to Shirou.
Shirou for his part, allowed his gaze to wander to his left, and he was surprised to see a hurt expression on the blonde's face. He would have faced her fully, had it not been for the fact that Chifuyu had spoken up once more.
"I am well aware of that," Chifuyu stated, signaling for the woman who spoke up to take her seat. "But regardless of the fact of who started it, this sort of behavior is unacceptable. The fact that Emiya had responded to Alcott's provocations is the telling sign that this cannot be allowed to continue." Shirou narrowed his eyes. Her words would make sense, if she were speaking to twelve-year olds who got caught having a fight because kid A said kid B was a loser. Shirou had long determined that Chifuyu was someone who didn't move until the time was right, or if the situation called for her to move. So having her suddenly punishing them both when she was aware that Cecilia was the one that started the fighting in the first place only told Shirou one thing, she had something planned.
"B-but sensei that's not fair to Emiya-san!" Someone else shouted from the back, a resonance of 'yeahs' and 'that's rights' cut through the air, agreeing with what the first one had said. Shirou carefully stared at Chifuyu, and wasn't at all surprised to see her staring back. Their eyes locked, and Shirou could barely see a hint of a smirk forming on Chifuyu's face.
"Enough," She said clearly, stopping any more arguments from rising up. "It doesn't matter is Alcott or Emiya started the fights," She stated. "If either party responds to the others provocations, than all this talk of fairness and what's right is moot. If they allow their emotions to get the better of them, then they are setting a bad example not just for their fellow IS pilots, but they also show the world that this Academy is training nothing more than teenagers not taking their studies seriously." Chifuyu paused, before she looked at each one of the women plus Shirou, in the room. "All of you are here under the government's payroll. They give you free education so that each of you are trained to pilot an IS. They expect results, and they expect you lot to stay in line and not let your emotions lead you." She finished evenly. A resounding silence permeated the room. Every woman unable to speak or even argue with what Chifuyu had stated.
Shirou once again locked eyes with Chifuyu, and found that all hint of mirth was replaced with grimness. He knew what her words meant, and she seemed to know that he knew as well.
Her words had basically told them to act like soldiers.
Before he could give the idea anymore thought however, Chifuyu once again spoke up. "So, I'm going to allow a match between you two, just to let you two clear the air between each other." Her words seemed to cause the entire room to erupt in gasps, some even reacting violently by shouting at Chifuyu, completely disregarding the fact that she was their homeroom teacher.
He inclined his head, and was surprised to see Cecilia smiling rather bitterly. He could see she wanted to be happy about this, but something was holding her back from allowing her full smile from showing. He turned towards Chifuyu, but before he could get a word out, Cecilia's voice from beside him stopped him.
"Fine," Her words cut through the entire room, silencing the shouting women. They all turned towards her, and Shirou found himself doing the same. Though he couldn't see her eyes as they were shadowed by her blonde hair as she looked at the floor. "I'll fight him; I'll show you all that he doesn't deserve to be here. I'll show you all he is just a useless man." She stated as she looked up, her eyes steeled as she looked at each and every one of her classmates.
"Hey Alcott! Don't you think that's too much? You're an IS Representative Candidate, he doesn't even have a personal IS!" Someone shouted. But all she got was a hard glare courtesy of Cecilia.
But before she could reprimand their classmate. Shirou spoke up, his eyes closed as he sighed. "Alright." He said, surprising the entire class. "I'll fight you." He told her, locking eyes with Cecilia's blue eyes.
"O-oi Emiya-!" The same woman who had tried to reprimand Cecilia spoke up, but he shook his head. Stopping anymore arguments coming from her. Shirou turned back towards Cecilia, locking eyes with her once more.
"I'll fight you Cecilia," He told her, no hint of amusement in his voice or his face as he did so. And the opposite for the woman across from him. "But on one condition."
"Oh? Already asking for a handicap are you? I'm not surprised, you must be scared already." She said, arrogance once more showing. Shirou didn't respond other than blinking at her.
"My condition is," He began before he looked over at Chifuyu, who only gave him a nod. He turned back towards Cecilia, his eyes holding steel once more. "We both have the right to kill each other when the match starts."
Needless to say, the entire was frozen stiff. Even the arrogance of Cecilia seemed to fade away at how cold he had said those words. It wasn't until after a full seven seconds finally passed, did the class erupt in shock.
"Are you crazy?!" "Do you have a death wish!?" "Don't accept Alcott or so help me-!"
Words of anger resounded around the room, some directed at him for his outrageous condition, some directed at Cecilia, telling her to not accept the offer, and some directed at Chifuyu, asking; no begging her to stop this.
All of this fell on deaf ears as Cecilia only gained an angry expression on her face.
"If you think this will get you out of the fight then you are sadly mistaken Emiya!" Cecilia advanced, staring straight into Shirou's eyes. Her fury filled eyes only registered Shirou, and no one else. "If you have a death wish, then I'll gladly grant it to you! A week from now, we fight to the death!" She announced, once again shocking the room into silence.
"It's decided then," Chifuyu's voice cut through the silent room. "A week from now, Tuesday on the 23rd of June." She stated with a cold voice. Chifuyu stared at both Shirou and Cecilia, locking eyes with the both of them. "If you two have any more conditions you want to give, speak up now. Your lives are on the line." She declared.
Cecilia nodded her head. "Then I propose a handicap for-"
"I refuse." Shirou cut off the blonde before she could even finish her sentence. Making the blonde look at him with fury filled eyes, though Shirou noted that they held some uneasiness in them as well.
Cecilia opened her mouth to speak, to berate him, but Chifuyu cut her off. "I believe that condition isn't acceptable Alcott." She stated; the room still silent as they continued to watch this situation escalate.
"And why not?" Cecilia asked, clearly still angry at being denied giving a handicap. Which only served to make Chifuyu shake her head.
"It's because this match is to the death. If you allow yourself to be held back by handicaps, then you might as well sign your own death permit." Chifuyu stated, her eyes not looking at Cecilia, but at Shirou. Golden eyes met coal, and she could only sigh.
"But-!"
"Enough, get back to your seat Alcott. Class will begin in a few minutes." She ordered, ignoring the pointed glare Cecilia was giving her.
Cecilia turned around to get back to her seat, but not without taking one last glance at Shirou, who was quietly sitting back down on his chair. She allowed herself to click her tongue, before she hurried back to her seat.
This act was caught by both Shirou and Chifuyu, the former only shaking his head slightly, while the latter only staring at Cecilia's back.
'If anything Alcott,' Chifuyu thoughts began as she took out her book from inside the desk. She could faintly hear the scribbling of a pen writing on the white board by her assistant. 'It's you who needs the handicap.' She allowed her thoughts to finish before she began her lesson to the still shell-shocked class.
XxX
And here we go.
I have a feeling I might get some flak for this chapter, but I'm trying to depict this world as some ways dark. But I guess I can't avoid flak for doing that in the first place. Oh well.
And to the guys that keep stating that I'm pussyfooting Shirou into the IS story by 'conveniently' placing Shirou into First year again. Let me ask you this. Would you seriously place a complete novice into a, for all intents and purposes, weapon of mass destruction without practice and prior knowledge simply because they were in their senior year? Yeah, I didn't think so. Shirou is a first year again, not because I'm forcing him their. But because it is the path that leads to common sense. If a complete novice is suddenly thrust into the senior year of the IS academy simply because they are graduating and given an IS to pilot. Then most likely they will end up hurting themselves, or worse, others. It goes like this, it matters not what age you are, what educational degree you have reached, or even what you think you know. You will be placed into Freshman year again simply because of the fact that you do not know how an IS works, how they operate, and what you will be doing with them.
And I know about the Alaska Treaty, but let's face it. The IS Academy is basically a military school to train soldiers to utilize the IS in the first place. Shirou knows that, Chifuyu knows that, but it seems like most of the women in the Academy don't.
This story won't be as lighthearted as Infinite Stratos, it will hold darkness in it that is synonymous to Nasuverse. But that's why it's so fun to write in the first place. Don't worry, it won't be that dark. But it will be dark enough to make you uncomfortable slightly. Fear the rolling of shoulders in uncomforableness! Muhahaha!
Anyway, review if you have the time. It's amazing to read the amount of people that like this. Oh, and as for the whether or not Shirou knows Tabane… Only in name, and the other as well. There is a reason Shirou calls Tabane bunny-fu-fu. And that will be explained. And no, it's not because of Rin.
I'm amazed that you guys seem to be liking this story so much, 64 reviews for just 3 chapters is a lot. Even by my standards. Heck, even Zero Night doesn't get that much reviews in three chapters. Thanks guys, it's amazing.
Oh, and yes. For those of you who have read my other Fic called Fate: Zero/Night, the 'sword' that isn't a sword is a recurring theme. I like screwing with Shirou like that. Don't worry, the principles may be the same, but they are both totally different in both fics.
C.O.Y.L out, peace!