"It takes a lot more than just muscle or mind to be a man, boy!" Rider boomed as he clapped a massive hand down on his master's shoulder. Waver's knees buckled, and he fell to the floor in an undignified heap.
"Well, if you'd been paying any attention to anything that I've said to you so far, you'd know that I don't give a darn about trying to be strong, or anything like that," Waver snapped back as he shoved Rider's hand off his back and struggled up to his feet again.
"I know," Rider replied calmly, not in the least bit bothered by his master's foul temper. "But what I'm trying to get you to understand is that, in the same way that it is a fallacy to assume that all a man's worth lies in how much muscle he has, it is also a fallacy to assume that all a man's worth lies in how many thoughts he has. It is far more than brain or brawn that determines someone's true value."
"Oh, god, not another stupid 'motivational' speech of yours!" Waver groaned impatiently, throwing Rider a disgusted and irritated look. But just like all those times before, Waver's short temper did nothing to hinder Rider in his decision to give yet another rousing and philosophical lecture to his master. But Rider was a king, of course he had a knack for public speech and connecting to his people! If a king was unable to inspire and connect to his men, then he really was no king at all. At least in Rider's mind. And that was the crux of his argument tonight.
"What truly makes a person great, what truly makes a king a conqueror, is his ability to adapt and relate to his people, whoever they may be," the larger man began with a grand, sweeping gesture of his massive arm. Waver rolled his eyes and groaned again, but because he knew that Rider wasn't going to shut up any time soon, he decided just to get back to his research and let Rider babble on to the air.
"As important as it is to be physically and mentally skilled, the connecting piece that makes it all worth while is one's ability to understand, explore and relate to the world around themselves. If a man were to look at the world and find himself incapable of adapting to it and studying it with genuine curiosity, then he would perish. All the greatest conquerors of the world, whether they were warrior-kings like me or not, only achieved that rank because they were able to manipulate the world and explore with an open, sincere curiosity."
"I hardly see what that has to do with being a man," Waver deadpanned, not stopping in his reading to address Rider.
"You want to prove yourself, don't you, boy?" Rider replied, his voice suddenly growing serious. It was enough to send a chill down Waver's spine. In that moment, the younger man was reminded why Rider was called a heroic spirit. Even if he wasn't as focused as Waver might've liked, he'd still seen many things throughout his years alive (and dead), and in that, Waver paled by comparison.
"You may not admit it to anyone, even yourself, but I know you want the Grail because you feel like you need to prove yourself," Rider continued gravely. Waver felt his heart jump in his chest. Nothing made him more uncomfortable than when Rider was able to read him so easily.
"Shut up, Rider," he warned softly.
"To whom? It doesn't really matter," Rider continued, ignoring Waver. "My point is, you are nothing but a sad, lonely, insecure little boy."
"Rider… I'm warning you…"
"But until you learn to accept that fact and face it head-on, you're never going to be able to conquer it."
"Rider!"
"And in that, you will become the conquered, and your fears will win, and you'll never move beyond what you are right now-"
"I said ENOUGH!"
Waver clenched his fists, trembling with rage.
"How dare you speak to your master like that?" he spat, barely even able to look at Rider because of how furious and humiliated he was.
"And therein lies the case and the point," Rider gestured to Waver's ill-concealed rage. "A true king does not need to remind his subjects of his status. Instead, he lets his actions and behaviors do all of the talking for him."
"This has nothing to do with anything," Waver snarled. "We are going to get that Grail, and as soon as we do, the world will know-"
"Know what?" Rider interrupted with a rare scoff of contempt. "That a scared little boy managed to win a few scuffles and find a magic cup?" He shook his head slowly, something akin to disappointment spreading across his face. It made Waver feel uneasy, and some of his anger melted into uncertainty and fear. He hated how Rider had that effect on him.
"All the Grails in the world will not make you more of a man. If you really want to prove yourself, you need to start by looking not at your head or your body, but your heart." Rider's grave expression softened again and he opened his eyes, staring compassionately down at his master.
"Waver, you would not have been able to summon me if you had not had enormous potential. That is why I have so much faith in you. You may not see it yourself. Not yet at least. But I intend to help you come to grips without before this war is over. You have the potential to be everything that you want, and more. But you're trying to solve the problem in all the wrong ways. As important as it is for a man to be strong and intelligent, cunning and focused, another component that you're lacking in is heart.
"You need to learn how to be kind, compassionate and gentle, or you will spend your life alone and unwanted. A king without a kingdom is nothing but a man with delusions of grandeur. You need to know what aspects of yourself to focus on and cultivate! Alongside learning how to be more understanding and patient so that you can better work with future allies and subjects, you must also embrace your curiosity and wonder. Use it to your advantage! Allow it to open doors you may never have even thought of otherwise. There's no shame in exploring, learning and making mistakes. That's all part of being a conqueror! A true king does not have to be stone-faced all the time. He is allowed to have fun. He wouldn't be much of a king if he didn't! After all, just look at me!" Rider paused to give Waver a giant, goofy grin that spread from ear to ear.
Waver only pouted, crossed his arms, and looked away. But the anger had since faded from his face. Potential? Did Rider truly believe that he had potential? It was something Waver didn't even want to believe, in case he'd misunderstood, but he could not deny the powerfully warm rush of excitement and hope he felt in response to Rider's compliment. It embarrassed him, but it was true. Even though he and Rider did not get along at all, to think that Rider saw potential in him made him feel really proud. Could it really be true though? Did he dare even hope…?
"When you've established yourself as a king, no one will ever judge you again," Rider continued. "Enemies will tremble before you and friends will stand by your side forever. You will be safe to indulge in more "childish vices" without feeling threatened or compromised all the time. You'll be free to be brave, to be yourself, to embrace and explore the parts of yourself that you used to try to deny. You won't have to hide behind a mask anymore, or to endlessly pursue some distant dream of yours. Instead, you'll finally be allowed to rest assured in who you are. You'll be able to be proud of your current identity!" Rider thumped his chest and gave Waver a savage and proud smile. "You won't have to pretend anymore."
"I'm not pretending anything!" Waver interrupted, some indignation returning to his voice.
"But you seem to think that the only way to prove yourself and truly, properly be a man is to be surly and sullen every second of the day," Rider reminded him with a teasing smile. "The true first step to being a man is learning to be brave and free. Let go of your fears and face the unknown. For you, in particular, this means learning to be more open-minded and open-hearted."
"Hey!" Waver interrupted, even more indignation returning to his voice, but Rider carried on.
"I know this world is cruel, and war is no place for childish error, but that does not mean you can never smile or be happy. Not every second of a war is gloom and doom. In fact, some of my greatest memories are with my brothers in arms and all the laughter we managed to share despite being engaged in near constant-conflict!" Rider's face grew dreamy with recollection. "After all, what good is a victory when you have no one to share it with?" he asked. "I know my men and I spent many hours feasting and celebrating any time we won a battle, and those were the happiest moments of my life!" he emitted a low, rumbling chuckle and shook his head fondly.
"Don't you see, Waver?" he asked. "True maturity, true manhood, is the ability to embrace your childish and vulnerable side, not hide or deny it! There is no better feeling in the world than being surrounded by your brothers in arms, but that can only happen if you learn how to truly make human connection. And that can only happen if you're willing to be a king and a conqueror and face your insecurities no matter how scary they may seem. That is the true measure and worth of a man. Not his brain, not his muscle, his heart. I know it's a daunting task, but no king ever ruled a kingdom by himself. No conqueror ever won a war without help. And the best of soldiers is not the one who wins every fight unscathed, but the one who comes out covered in scars and yet is still ready to go back in for more."
Rider raised his hand to his chest and his smile grew even wider. Waver thought he looked quite silly and stupid, just standing there and staring up at the ceiling with a dreamy look on his face, but he couldn't deny some level of envy and fascination with the other man. Even though he hated admitting when Rider was right, the thought of living a life unafraid and unapologetic was deeply appealing to him. Rider hadn't been wrong when he identified Waver's true motives for obtaining the Grail.
Wouldn't it be nice to have confidence for once? To feel successful? To feel respected? To feel as if he deserved all the praise he wanted to have? To be as ridiculous as Rider was and seem to feel no shame? To manage to be so incredibly strong and intimidating, yet still be capable of warmth and gaiety? It was tempting, but Waver still wasn't sure… Spending a life feeling like an outcast meant it wasn't easy for him to accept Rider's ultimatum of just being himself. That was far easier said than done. Especially if you were practically a giant.
But despite all of Waver's doubts (both self and otherwise), the longer he watched Rider stand there looking lost in a beautiful dream, the more curious and hopeful he began to feel. Was this that sense of wonder Rider had mentioned earlier? Waver's first instinct was to strike it down at once and forget that it ever happened. But he was in an odd mood tonight and felt more willing now than ever before to give Rider's words some credence. Rider did, after all, see potential in him. So maybe… maybe Rider had a point. Maybe the most pragmatic decision was to lighten up a little. Especially if this new perspective would help him come up with a better way to win the Grail War. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to loosen up a bit…
"But first, my dear boy, I think it's time we go get some food!" Rider snapped suddenly out of his trance, turning his annoyingly cheerful face back onto Waver. Waver cringed immediately. And just like that, a good portion of his awe and wonder had been squashed again. He knew exactly what was coming next…
"I understand that there is an excellent restaurant just a few blocks from the center of the city and there is one of those 'arcade' things on the way there! I was thinking we could grab some food to restore our strength, and then we can test our skills at the arcade! What do you say, eh Waver?"
Waver's gut reaction was to say no and call Rider an idiot (along with every synonym of that word that he could think of) for suggesting something so stupid, but instead, for once, he decided to yield. He heaved a huge, long-suffering sigh as he begrudgingly agreed.
"Ok, fine," he grumbled as he dragged himself to his feet. "Let me just get my wallet."
"Excellent!" Rider gave a thunderous laugh and picked Waver up as easily as if he were a teddy bear.
"Woah!" Waver yelped in surprise as he suddenly felt himself dangling several feet in the air. "Hey! Put me down!" he demanded, but Rider only cheerfully exited Waver's tiny room and brought them both out to the large chariot waiting in their backyard. Oh boy… This was going to be a looooooong night…
AN: Randomly inspired to do a "Rider helps Waver learn how to be confident" fic because I really like Rider and my friend is trying to get me to like Waver. It still isn't working (he's just too cranky for my taste, even if I understand why), but I hope she enjoys this fic. She knows who she is…
And even though this was just meant to be a silly little one-shot, feel free to read it as a "Rider teaches Waver about healthy masculinity after Waver's spent his entire life being taught toxic masculinity".