who stole your heart and the key?

[steelmyself]

In the dark, you taste something sweet and tart on your tongue, almost like apple but not quite: pomegranate juice, out of nowhere. A hint of something metallic accompanies it.

You fall down.

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Comments

[unaffective]

[Fortunately she has gotten a talking-to from mamz about gender roles. A woman prince isn't weird so a woman king isn't weird either. Titles are titles.]

Yes, break it to remove the sword. It's only a stone.

[steelmyself]

"Stone is pretty tough. I'm not sure I could do that, but it's worth a shot, I guess."

[unaffective]

I think that it may be possible for me. Would you like me to try it?

[steelmyself]

"I won't stop you," he says, as he keeps tugging at the sword. "Don't waste too much time on it, though, okay? This is my job here."

[unaffective]

... Poor attempts at removing a sword from a stone are your job? That's ridiculous.

[steelmyself]

"No, being a hero is my job. I'll get the sword, and then I'll save everyone."

[unaffective]

[Oh.

Well. That explains who this is.

She was planning on casting a spell to break the stone apart, but instead she just sort of. Turns, takes a long look at it, and moves to sit on a particularly comfy-looking edge.]

How could you call yourself a hero with no tools?

[steelmyself]

It feels a bit warm for a rock. The boy keeps pulling. "I'll have the tool I need once I get this sword out."

A distant rumbling roar of deep, pained distress echoes throughout the land. It seems to come from both above and below at the same time.

[unaffective]

[Nice

Really, it's nice. It's very tempting to lie down and watch him be useless. She hasn't really felt tired in a while, but feeling warmth is still comforting - so she does just that, and lies across the rock on her back, to get a look at the sky.]

Then you currently lack the authority to call yourself a hero. Must it be that sword?

[steelmyself]

"Well, I'm not a hero yet," he admits. "I need this sword to become one."

An enormous serpentine form arches high over the blasted earth, its rosy-gold scales gleaming. Both ends of it disappear over the horizon; its head and the ends of its tail are nowhere to be seen.

[unaffective]

[What the fuck

Turning over on her side to face him.]

Why this sword? Why do you want to be a hero?

[steelmyself]

He keeps pulling at the sword even as he responds. "I need it to save people. That's obvious, right? Anyway, I made a promise."

[unaffective]

Ah, I do suppose that swords are certainly cooler than any other weapon that you could use to that purpose.

[That's fair. She can't argue it. Swords are cool.]

What did you promise?

[steelmyself]

"I promised to make my father's dream come true."

[unaffective]

[... Grits her teeth. Her tone stays neutral, but she's frowning.]

Is that what you'd like - to exact your father's will? What would you like to do?

[steelmyself]

"What I'd...like to do?" He seems honestly baffled by the question. "Sorry, what are you asking?"

[unaffective]

What are your hobbies? What are your hopes and dreams? Humans require such aspirations, you see - do you have them?

[steelmyself]

He responds promptly. "My dream is to become a superhero who saves everyone."

[unaffective]

[Well, she's heard enough.

She sits up and hops down from the rock, giving it a good, long stare - she doesn't spare NPC Shirou a glance. It's just a rock; she could break it with a spell, but when she tries to speak the words she thinks about her supplication, and her mouth feels like it's full of cement.

She doesn't dwell on it, but the pause it gives her makes her realize something.]

- Ah. Sir, you should remove yourself before I break the stone.

[steelmyself]

"Huh? I guess you could do that, but..." For just a moment, he steps back, frowning.

[unaffective]

I don't mean to distract you. Rather, it's possible that I could harm you in the process of breaking the stone - it seems this is of import to you, and I've decided that we're friends. I'd like to protect you if possible.

[steelmyself]

"What?" He looks almost alarmed at that. "No way, I'm the one protecting people." But he does take another step back.

[unaffective]

[Yeah. Definitely the same dude.

Giving the handle a tentative pull first, to see exactly how stuck in there it is. She doesn't know if she could just blow up a whole rock this big the way she is now.]

[steelmyself]

It's completely stuck. The boy looks slightly annoyed. "What, you don't trust me? It's really stuck in there."

[unaffective]

I lived in her country prior to coming here.