Fixed it with more appropriate names, because having Paul Kersey and Dirty Harry gun down every shithead in a nine block radius does more to solve your problems than any other method.

You have no idea just how dangerous Buster Keaton is, do you?

He is the forefather of all stuntwork in film-making, he has high level stats in everything.

... Actually, what would happen if you could summon Emperor Norton as a Servant? Or Jack Kirby as Caster?
 
You know, Atalanta didn't like to get her ear (and head) touched. By people.

Did this dislike extend to no-people? Say, a bear?
 
Interlude 5: It Was A First
A/N: This isn't, like, a lot. Or France. But it's something! Also it features a character that has both appeared frequently and hasn't appeared at all, so...

--


2016

Fuyuki City



"I'm home."

"Ah. Hey, dad."

Shirou Emiya grunted in acknowledgement as he slid the door close behind him and stepped out of his shoes into a pair of well-worn house slippers. It was a familiar habit now, yet ironically something he rarely got to indulge in; It was a miracle he managed to pass the bar two years ago, considering what happened, and even now he worked hard to cherish that opportunity.

Nonetheless, at his core he remained a domestic man. Walking over to the living room he rustled his son's hair and set his briefcase down next to him. Ritsuka groaned, but he didn't flinch from the gesture. Shirou smiled at this; fatherhood was a new and difficult experience for him, and something he would have never willingly sought out on his own. But he would never regret it.

"How's school today?" He asked as he glanced over his son's shoulder. Ever diligent, Ritsuka was already doing his homework. He really did take after his mother in both looks and work ethic… No, hold on, he's playing his smartphone under the table. But his homework is already done - and, from what he remembers of basic mathematics, perfectly correct.

He has her brilliance and work ethic, then.

"It was okay," the boy says blandly, his eyes never leaving his game. Shirou waited for him to say more, but more never came. He's been gloomy ever since that happened… with no idea how to help, Shirou could only hope his son would open up again soon.

Standing up, he eyed the kitchen and noticed it was curiously bare. No dishes were drying, and he couldn't scent the faint aroma of dinner.

"Is your mother home?"

Ritsuka shook his head. "Mom, Kana, and Aunt Saber went shopping in Miyama. Didn't feel like going."

So that's what it was. Stepping past him into the kitchen, Shirou called out, "Have you eaten yet?"

"Don't feel like eating," was his curt reply.

Shirou tsked at that. "That's not right, Ritsuka. You're still growing; growing boys need to eat." He opened the fridge and took careful stock of the ingredients left over. Not much left; not like Rin to be so sloppy. Unless Saber's been eating more when he's not around… That might explain today's shopping trip.

Still, there's more than enough to work with.

"Kana says she took all my growing power when we were babies," Ritsuka said, trying to pass it off like a sarcastic joke; but Shirou could read the real concern in his voice. It was understandable - Ritsuka was shorter than his sister despite being older - but it was still adorably childish. That's not how growing works.

...Probably. He still didn't quite believe how he shot up twenty centimeters during his twenties. Shirou knew it was coming, but it was still unbelievable.

"That's not how it works, Ritsuka," Shirou laughs gently. "Still, since I'm home today, why don't I make something for the both of us?"

Ritsuka frowns at this. He even looks up from his phone briefly. "You cook?"

That damning question gave Shirou greater heart pains than when Lancer actually killed him with a spear through the heart. That's right; he's been studying ever since Ritsuka and Kana were born to prepare for a less bloody path, so they grew up on Rin and Sakura's cooking. Mostly Sakura's.

But this was unacceptable.

Smiling, Shirou traced his own kitchen knife in front of Ritsuka. His son's eyes widened, for he knew that he had crossed a line.

"Let's find out, shall we?" Shirou said, the very image of serenity.

----

There had not been much left; the kitchen was fairly bare of most of Shirou's favourite ingredients, such as salmon and pork. But there was some chicken, and the house had plenty of condiments to play with; soy sauce, salt, sugar, dark sauce, everything you could need to make something delicious. So, checking to make sure there was still rice left - and there was - he got to work.

He was a blur of movement, working methodically in his zeal to prove his worth as a chef. Ritsuka watched on as his father deboned a whole chicken within seconds using only a knife, all while simultaneously preparing the sauce and the white rice. It was beauty in motion, elegance in the kitchen that he never saw before. Even Rin and Sakura, though capable chefs themselves, were more workmanlike in their craft. Of course they were; they never had anything to prove to a child.

Shirou had to win his kingdom back. And within less than an hour, he had forged the sword that would do it.

Two plates of piping hot chicken rice, prepared in the hainanese style that had so impressed Shirou during one of his previous 'business' trips, lay on the table. Clapping his hands together, Shirou took a whiff of his own work and let out a contented sigh. He had been able to replicate the flavour afterall. And all without a single Trace; not that he could have.

"Alright," he nods, and looks at his son. Shirou holds a pair of chopsticks up, and Ritsuka imitates him. "What do we say before eating?"

"I-Itadakimasu," Ritsuka says, gulping. He claps his hands together as well before he samples the rice.

The sheer shock on his face would both satisfy and guilt his father for years to come. "It's… good!"

"Try it with the chicken," Shirou encouraged. He suddenly stood up and head for the kitchen. "Ah, almost forgot the soup!"

As he returned with the pot, Shirou saw Ritsuka inhaling his dinner with more energy and hunger than he'd seen in him in months. It brought a smile to his face, for satisfying another person with his food, and for seeing his son get better. Come to think of it, he hasn't gotten much chance to bond with Ritsuka, has he? He's been there when Saber teaches Kana more than a few times, and the girl always leaps at any opportunity to be with him, but Ritsuka never initiated and he was never there when Rin taught him the family magecraft.

It ate at him to recall that he hasn't been more involved with his son. Work calls, duty calls, but… didn't he set that destructive path aside for family? Shouldn't the hungry boy in front of him take priority over everything?

Isn't it enough to be his hero?

Ritsuka immediately started coughing, and Shirou practically flew over with a bowl of soup in hand. "Here, slowly, slowly," he urged, helping his son drink; the warm liquid should help clear the jam, and it should round out the meal as well. "Don't eat too fast, Ritsuka, or you won't be able to enjoy it."

Taking the bowl in his hands and putting it down, Ritsuka nods evenly. "Yes, dad." He looked at his empty plate, bare of even kernels of rice, and looked back up at him with a very familiar look. Some things didn't have to be genetic to be hereditary. "More… please?"

Shirou smiled back. "Of course. Coming right up!"

He returned quickly with more rice and chicken; he anticipated this, and prepared extra. Children often had small appetites, but he had a feeling. His household was hardly normal. After all… legally it was Rin's.

He took her name after all, even if he was still Emiya to everyone who knew him.

"...Dad? Do you like me?"

Shirou looks down at his son and pats his head. "Of course," he replied, not sure where the question came from. He thought about it, thinking about Ritsuka's behaviour… Ah. "Is it because I don't spend time with you?"

Ritsuka nodded. "You're always with Kana, so I thought…"

"Listen." He squatted down to Ritsuka's level and looked him in the eye. He thought about telling him about Kiritsugu, about how they both grew up alone, but thought against it. Ritsuka's just eight he doesn't need to know why he doesn't have grandparents yet. Shirou changed gears. "I know I haven't been around a lot. I hope that will change soon, and I'll do my best. But no matter what happens, you're my son. I'll always protect you."

"...Like when you did the thing two years ago?"

Shirou smiled. He's never going to explain what happened during the Incident to the twins. Ever. But it worked as an example. "Exactly. Even if angry men throw hammers at you, I'll just throw it aside."

Ritsuka nodded. He looked down at himself. "B-But… mom's so smart and pretty, a-and you beat Gilgamesh! I'm just…" He frowned, tears starting to well. "I can't even do a kata right yet."

Ah, he felt inadequate. Even though that was frankly uncalled for; even at such a young age Ritsuka has better circuits than he does. It was completely unfair, but that was just what happens when you marry Rin Tohsaka and proceed to have twins with her. "It took me eight years before I could cast just one spell properly, you know?"

"W-What?" He looked up at Shirou in surprise. "B-But Aunt Saber said you beat Gilgamesh! He's the strongest hero, t-the King of them!"

"I got lucky," Shirou admitted, "The one spell I know was perfect. But I'm not sure I could do it again today. But you, Ritsuka… you're as strong as your mother, and you're definitely as smart. You just need to put in the effort."

Ritsuka frowned. "But I do my homework. And I always work hard when mom teaches me."

"Where's your english work?"

"...It's not due till next week!"

"You can always do it now," Shirou said. "Hard work will always pay off. It's how a half-rate like me got so far." Plus a lot of cheating and help, he adds mentally. "You'll go even farther, Ritsuka. I know it."

Ritsuka looked up at him. Frowning, clenching his tiny fists, Ritsuka nodded. "Thanks, dad."

"...Now hurry up, your food is getting cold."

"A-Ah!"

The door slammed open just as Ritsuka dove right back in, and Shirou could hear a gasp and frantic thumping on the wooden floor. Sliding into view, young Kana Tohsaka cried out and pointed at him. "DADDY! You're home!"

"Evening, Ka--oof!" He fell backwards, the wind knocked out of him. Only honed instincts helped him keep her from knocking the table down. He breathed deeply, holding up the giggling bundle in his hands. "Kana, what did we say about tackle-hugs?"

Kana giggled. She looked around. "Oh, dad! You cook?!"

"Shirou! You're home?" Rin asked. She walked over and looked over him. "You cooked?!"

"Ritsuka was hungry!" Shirou protested. It was comical; he had nothing to prove in his own house. He could cook when he felt like it! "Why didn't you make something before leaving, anyways?"

"I did, I left some snacks in the fridge!" Heading over with the groceries, Rin opened up the fridge. "...Where are the snacks I put in the fridge?"

Saber said nothing, and was conspicuously already at the table. "I apologise for imposing, Shirou," she said, hands clasped together. "But may I have a portion as well? It looks delicious."

Shirou laughed and sat up with Kana dangling off his shoulders with glee. "Sure. I made enough for everyone."

"Ho?" Sliding over with a pair of chopsticks, Rin looks at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Are you challenging me for the kitchen, E-m-i-y-a-kuuuun~?"

Yes. He paid for everything dammit. "No, I am being thoughtful." He held up the rice scoop. "Shall we?"

That night, for the first time and certainly not the last, the Tohsaka family had a meal together, prepared by a man who would have become a hero.

----

2026 (?)

Chaldea



He groaned as the alarm blared in his ears, peeling himself off the desk and the tablet right beneath him. Wiping the drool off with an annoyed groan - dammit he did it again - Ritsuka flicked out his smartphone and checked the messages. Which idiots are trying to kill each other this time?

Ah. Apparently Atalanta's trying to murder Robin after he said something smart about Artemis. That's clever of him. He stood up from the chair with a sigh and made himself presentable, even forcing himself awake with a minor cantrip - just a small flush of mana to warm himself up. Nothing significant. With Kana still lost somewhere in the Gate of Babylon, it was up to him to keep collateral damage down.

Before heading off to bust some heads together, however, he saw a small plastic box on his desk, along with a handwritten note. Archer's handwriting, he observed, saying 'take care of yourself'. Classic Archer, mothering again.

He popped it open to get a glimpse of what he had to look forward to after resolving another crisis, while wondering just when he had stepped in.

It was chicken rice, served in the hainanese style. And the thermos next to it was filled with the same soup his father had made so many years ago.

It held him there longer than it should have, caught up by nostalgia for just a moment. Taking a deep breath, Ritsuka wiped the wetness out of his eyes. Waking up was hell, and he had to look presentable, damn it.

He had half a thought of bringing it along; it would make fine bait for both errant Archers. But Ritsuka ultimately thought against it.

It was another piece of unexpected home to look forward to.

...Thanks, dad. You weren't always there, but you tried.

Stepping out of the door, Ritsuka whistled for Herakles and jogged off to work.
 
Excuse me, waiter? I didn't order these feels, I'd like them taken back, please.:lol

This is good. In-character backstory is always fun to read.
 
"That's not how it works, Ritsuka," Shirou laughs gently. "Still, since I'm home today, why don't I make something for the both of us?"

Ritsuka frowns at this. He even looks up from his phone briefly. "You cook?"
He said the forbidden words, abortabortabort!!! RUN FOR YOUR FUCKING LIVES!!!
But this was unacceptable.

Smiling, Shirou traced his own kitchen knife in front of Ritsuka. His son's eyes widened, for he knew that he had crossed a line.

"Let's find out, shall we?" Shirou said, the very image of serenity.

Shirou had to win his kingdom back. And within less than an hour, he had forged the sword that would do it.
The conflict was to be known by the historians as, The Food Wars.
"...Like when you did the thing two years ago?"

Shirou smiled. He's never going to explain what happened during the Incident to the twins. Ever. But it worked as an example. "Exactly. Even if angry men throw hammers at you, I'll just throw it aside."
Ah, Shirou was making noodles.
"Ho?" Sliding over with a pair of chopsticks, Rin looks at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Are you challenging me for the kitchen, E-m-i-y-a-kuuuun~?"
Rin. Don't pick food fights you can't win. That's Medea's shtick.
...Thanks, dad. You weren't always there, but you tried.
*sniff*
Stepping out of the door, Ritsuka whistled for Herakles and jogged off to work.
A boy and his dog Berserker.
 
That was a cute little update. It was interesting seeing the root of some of Ritsuka's insecurities, and it makes sense that Shirou would have some difficulties knowing how exactly to interact with his children - Kiritsugu is not the greatest role model in the world, and the memories he has of before the Fire are kind of traumatic and are probably difficult for him to recall in any clarity.

"W-What?" He looked up at Shirou in surprise. "B-But Aunt Saber said you beat Gilgamesh! He's the strongest hero, t-the King of them!"

"I got lucky," Shirou admitted, "The one spell I know was perfect. But I'm not sure I could do it again today. But you, Ritsuka… you're as strong as your mother, and you're definitely as smart. You just need to put in the effort."

From the distance, as if from a place beyond space-time, a voice calls out, "I wasn't taking you seriously, mongrel!"

Rin. Don't pick food fights you can't win. That's Medea's shtick.

Rin is explicitly better at cooking Chinese food than Shirou is. (Sakura is better at Western and Shirou's speciality is Japanese.)
 
That was a cute little update. It was interesting seeing the root of some of Ritsuka's insecurities, and it makes sense that Shirou would have some difficulties knowing how exactly to interact with his children - Kiritsugu is not the greatest role model in the world, and the memories he has of before the Fire are kind of traumatic and are probably difficult for him to recall in any clarity.



From the distance, as if from a place beyond space-time, a voice calls out, "I wasn't taking you seriously, mongrel!"



Rin is explicitly better at cooking Chinese food than Shirou is. (Sakura is better at Western and Shirou's speciality is Japanese.)

It's Rin, she'd find some way to screw it up.
 
I am waiting for Ritsuka or Kana to summon Aunt Illya into Chaldea.... for a family meal.

And for Ritsuka and Kana to both freak out upon seeing Ruby, and seeing Illya casually wielding and putting up with Ruby. And for Ritsuka to realize the implications when Illya wields both Ruby and Sapphire together - this alternate universe version of his aunt is not that far removed from his father.
 
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I am waiting for Ritsuka or Kana to summon Aunt Illya into Chaldea.... for a family meal.

And for Ritsuka and Kana to both freak out upon seeing Ruby, and seeing Illya casually wielding and putting up with Ruby. And for Ritsuka to realize the implications when Illya wields both Ruby and Sapphire together - this alternate universe version of his aunt is not that far removed from his father.
And then Aunt Chloe. And then Aunt Sitonai.

Kana: I think we're going to have as many Aunt Illyas as we have Dads at this rate.
 
And then Aunt Chloe. And then Aunt Sitonai.

Kana: I think we're going to have as many Aunt Illyas as we have Dads at this rate.
Dad: EMIYA, EMIYA Alter, Muramasa
Mom: Rin-Ishtar, Rin-Ishtar-Rider
Aunt: Sakura-Prelati, Sitonai-Illya, Illya MG, Chloe
Grand-mom: Dress-Iri
Grand-dad: Emiya-Assassin

yep

this family is bloated
 
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