Chapter 33: Danger

Beta read by Shigiya, GameCrusher55 and Darklord331

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-Emiya Residence-Bathhouse.-

Never had Shirou had to deal with a case like this, swirls of emotions and thoughts went through his mind as he tried to understand the situation he was in. First came anxiousness, followed by uncertainty about what to do, before he drew a blank, with no way of dealing with this situation coming to mind. 

The fact that Rider, of all people, pulled such a stunt still remained something he had a hard time wrapping his head around. 

The purpose of which he failed to understand and in turn chose to remain silent. Keeping his mind focused, forcing it not to wander in places he wished to avoid. Both out of guilt on what he felt at the moment and fear of not knowing how to handle the outcome.

"Am I doing it correctly, Senpai?" Yet this approach was instantly pushed to its limit as the sensation of the loofah moved up and down on his back. A pair of delicate hands holding onto it and applying enough pressure where it genuinely felt good. He could feel how good it felt as it glided and scratched his back rinsing it in soothing soap.

"It's fine." He responded, sitting on a wooden stool with his back facing the violet-haired woman while he faced the mirror — his eyes closed. 

The rhythmic dripping of water filling the tub and her breathing was definitely heard in the background. The enclosed space made them both sound louder, with nothing from the outside seeping in inside—nothing but the deep orange light from the evening sun visible through the gaps. 

Despite all of these factors, the place felt awkwardly silent. 

"I'm sorry about this, Sakura." Shirou finally broke the silence, his voice soft yet carrying an edge of embarrassment. He almost got lost in the gentle, deliberate way she washed his back. Her movements felt more like a massage, and a small part of him didn't want it to end anytime soon. "I don't know what got into Med for her to pull such a prank. I'll talk to her soon."

The purple-haired Servant had initially seemed so quiet, speaking only when necessary, keeping her words short and reserved. But with each passing day, Shirou started to notice a different side of her. The sharp teasing, sly remarks, and occasional bold actions left him wondering if he had misread her entirely.

Had he missed something? Over the months she had become way more playful and teasing with him. Especially involving herself in all of his relationships with girls. Though one thing he knew for sure was that she hit it off with Sakura, the two becoming practically best friends. 

"She's… different than I imagined," Sakura murmured, her voice cutting through the stillness. It seemed Shirou wasn't the only one reevaluating Rider. "At first, I was scared of her when I saw you two together. I didn't know what to make of her."

"I'll admit, she can be pretty intimidating at first glance." Shirou chuckled lightly, recalling Rider's towering presence and that ever-present blindfold, which only added to her mystique.

"That's not what I meant." Sakura's voice grew softer, and her movements paused for a moment. "I… I was afraid that you'd grow more distant because of her presence. That you'd leave me behind, and I'd be left on my own again. But… I was wrong, wasn't I? The more time I've spent with her, the more I've come to admire her. She's one of the kindest people I've ever met—aside from you, of course. Her confidence, her strength, her beauty… I desired to be more like her. Without even realizing it, I really started to envy her."

"You know I'd never do that to you," the boy replied, his voice steady. "Even with Med now living here, I'm not going to change how I feel about you. She clearly cares about you, so there is nothing to worry about."

But he could hear the doubt in her voice earlier, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why she would think such a thing.

"If I have to be honest it's not just her that made me feel we would become distant. You also made a lot of friends, Shirou. Miss Luvia for starters, even if you met briefly she cared about you a lot. Going so far as to fly over to Fuyuki just to check up on you. I know you and the archery club captain Ayako are also quite close. Not them there are a bunch more in the school along with a few other people outside of it. All of this has happened so quickly." 

Luvia? Well, he highly doubted she came here just to see him. Her timing was a big enough sign for him to expect some kind of move from her during the Grail War. Her giving him a bit of guidance and experience with both magecraft and combat remained a debt he had yet to pay.

As for Ayako, well it would be a lie to say their relationship could only be summarized as mere classmates. She started to become someone he hung around more than Issei himself. 

"I was also afraid for your safety," she continued, her words gaining an edge of vulnerability. "That one day, I'd be waiting for you to come home, only for you to never return. I knew that, in the end, all I could do was place my trust in Med to bring you back if something happened."

"…"

Shirou's chest tightened, any reassurances he might have offered dissolving in the wake of her quiet confession. He wanted to tell her she had nothing to worry about, that he was stronger than she gave him credit for—but that would be a lie, and he knew it.

Not long ago, before encountering Caster, his life had already been pushed to its limits. The near-deadly battle with Bazett, the terrifying clash with the monster at the port—each moment was a reminder of how fragile the line between life and death truly was. And yet, even now, he couldn't bring himself to regret his choices.

A gentle touch brought him back to the present. Sakura's hand rested on his back, her fingers resting on his skin. Her voice was almost a whisper, yet her words struck with precision.

"I know you've been in danger recently. You faced a Servant, didn't you?"

Shirou tensed, caught off guard by her direct question. Since rescuing Sakura, they'd fallen into an unspoken agreement, tiptoeing around the magical elephant in the room. It wasn't that he wanted to keep her in the dark; he just assumed she preferred not to dredge up painful memories. Now, with her words hanging in the air, he realized maybe they'd both been waiting for the other to break the silence.

But now, for the first time, Sakura had asked him a direct question—one that surprised him since he was uncertain how she even came to know about it. "How did you…"

The only person that came to mind was none other than Rider.

"You could have died, Shirou." Ignoring his question, she continued to talk. Her fingers tracing some of the wounds that had not fully healed yet. 

He exhaled slowly, gathering his thoughts, "I didn't have a choice back then. Bazett was in danger and I had to get her attention off her somehow. I admit, I could have done things differently, but I truly was not ready to encounter Caster of all people in the middle of Fuyuki at that time. Just so you know Rider was with me, even if things got dangerous, I would've made it out fine." 

"Were you not afraid?" 

Afraid? Not really, not for his life at least. "I did not want to see someone in front of me suffer like that and be killed. Even if we started on the wrong foot, we ended up on the same side." 

"Can you really say that, now that the war is starting. Won't you have to come to blows?"

"Even so I don't think we'll be gunning for each other's lives, I think the both of us respect each other now not to go down that path. Besides she's not all bad, now that I know her I know she's a good person deep down."

Sakura fell quiet, mulling over his words. The loofah lay forgotten as her hands glided across his back, kneading away the tension. She leaned in, her breath warm against his ear. "That's so like you, Senpai. Always rushing to help others, even if it means trouble for you later."

Shirou's breath caught as he felt her lean closer. Her hair tickled his neck, and her whispered words sent a shiver down his spine. "You save people even when they don't deserve it. Even when they will cause you trouble in the end. But I suppose that's just who you are, isn't it?"

"I don't believe that." his eyes opened, staring at the mirror where he found the girl's face leaning closely to his body. He knew what she was trying to say even if she was not saying it directly. "Even if I were to be put in a situation where I would need to make a decision again, my answer will remain the same. I don't regret it, never had and never will." 

There was frustration weirdly enough building up in her eyes from what he could see, for she had not once tried to look at him straight in the eyes now that he thought about it. 

"Neither Zouken nor Shinji can force you to go back. I won't let them, that I promise." He was not that afraid of his former friend doing anything, a single punch back then was all that he needed for him to start avoiding him. The main issue was none other than that old man whose last phone call still lingered in his mind. "I know that I can't keep you locked here, it is not fair for you and not what I want for you. I will find a way to make sure you're happy, that I promise. With Rider along to help me, my chances are quite good." 

He tried to alleviate the atmosphere with a light tone but all he got in response was Sakura lowering her gaze even further till he could see nothing but the top of her head. 

Her hands were shaking. 

"Why… why are you going so far for someone like me, Senpai?" Her voice started to break down, his prior composure faltered under such a reaction. "It is not worth trying to keep someone like me close to you, you're just inviting more trouble for yoursel—"

"I think you are worth it." He cut her off, not wanting to hear her speak like that about herself. "I have known you for years, from the very beginning we met, you helped me a lot. Fuji-nee practically considers you as family by now, and the place just does not feel the same without you coming over. I got used to having you wake me up most mornings and have you help me around the house and hang out."

She chuckled, but it sounded like something due to helplessness more than anything else. 

Taking the silence as her, having accepted his explanation, he continued. "So stop thinking about such things, you are wrong about being any kind of burden. I'll get angry if you continue thinking like th—ah!" His following words got stuck in his throat when two soft mounds pressed against his back. With nothing separating him, he felt every inch of them and how warm they were. 

At some point, her arms ended up circling around him, holding onto him while she rested her face against his chest. His heartbeat grew more erratic, and waves of varying emotions wreaked havoc on his mind. 

"You know, it's not fair." She argued weakly,"you say all of that and expect me to listen without realizing just what I am trying to convey. Then again, it just sounds just like you to say such things. S-Sorry… it must feel uncomfortable for you, I-I'll stop." 

"It's not uncomfortable." He felt her head slowly turn up to finally stare back at him for the first time. These words had come out of his mouth without him having realized it. Yet not wanting to ruin the mood and potentially create any misunderstanding, the redhead scratched the back of his head and stood his ground. 

"Senpai…" she whispered, her voice breaking. 

Slowly, cautiously, the girl leaned closer.

Time seemed to slow as their gazes locked, the weight of a certain unspoken feeling hanging in the air between them. He once again felt his heart pounding in his chest, yet he didn't pull away. Instead, he moved closer as well, closing the distance between them. 

And then, their lips met. It was soft, tentative, and filled with all the emotions they had both been too afraid to voice until now. The warmth of her kiss melted away the lingering doubts in Shirou's mind, leaving only the certainty that he wanted this.

"Mmn…"

"Ha~!" 

Shirou turned to face her fully, their kiss deepening as Sakura's embrace tightened. Her soft warmth pressed against him while he gently caressed her cheek, brushing aside damp strands of violet hair. Their tongues intertwined, Sakura's eagerness surprising him as she explored his mouth with a passion he'd never seen from her before.

Breathless, they parted, a thin thread of saliva still connecting them. Shirou's eyes met Sakura's, finding her gaze unfocused and hazy with desire. She looked at him as if he were the only thing in the world that mattered. Without a word, he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her in for another fervent kiss, his heart racing as he surrendered to the moment.

Their lips collided hungrily as curious hands explored every curve and contour. Sakura's ample bosom pressed firmly against Shirou's bare chest, her peaked nipples grazing his skin with each fervent movement. A wanton moan escaped her as her fingers tangled in his red hair, still damp from the bath.

Shirou's mind was a haze, the events leading up to this moment now a distant blur. Had Rider orchestrated this encounter? If so, to what end? But as Sakura's tongue danced and collided with his own, those questions faded into the back of his mind. All that mattered now was the beautiful, passionate young woman in his arms, and the undeniable yearning that burned between them.

There was no rejection within him as he explored more of her body, his hands unconsciously gravitating towards her breast. Feeling his fingers sinking within her soft flesh forced a moan from the girl, her legs quivering as he tried to not give away his complete lack of experience and just let his instincts take over — something he usually suppressed around her. 

Having always admired her beauty in discretion, he noticed the changes she underwent as the years passed and became more frustrated with himself for having such thoughts in the first place. Sakura had always been more gifted than the average girl; even most senior students in his school barely held a candle to her curvy figure and abundant… assets. 

Having Rider around did not help, but the burden of having to deal with the Holy Grail War at least helped to keep his hormones in check. But her touch, her scent, and the intimacy of their talk in this setting slowly made him slip past the point where he couldn't hold back any longer. 

As it turned out though, Sakura wanted him to stop holding back.

Breaking the kiss, Shirou trailed his lips down Sakura's neck. She tilted her head to expose her flawless neck, giving him better access as he nipped and sucked at her sensitive skin. His hands slid down her sides to grip her hips, pulling her flush against him.

"Senpai," Sakura gasped, feeling his hardness pressing into her belly. She grinded against him instinctively, drawing a low groan from him which sent her body trembling all over again. 

Neither of them ever noticed the blurry figure of Rider leaning against the door outside, a smile present on her face coupled with a slight redness to her face. 

Sakura's hand slid down Shirou's taut abdomen, fingers tracing the defined muscles. Her breath caught as she wrapped her fingers around his rigid length. The heat and hardness made her pulse quicken.

"Sakura…" he groaned out her name just like she did his, welcoming her touch with her moans filling the room along with the sound of water running. He wanted to hold her, explore every inch of the girl and never let go.

Yet much to his surprise, as soon as he said that her movement froze. Sakura had gone completely still, the haziness within her eyes forcefully getting pushed away.

The beautiful pair of violet gems he was admiring suddenly widened in horror, and he feared he had gone too far.

She yanked her hand away as if burned, stumbling backward, and turned her back to him. "I-I'm so sorry, Senpai! I shouldn't have… I'm disgusting… I'm disgusting…" Tears welled in her eyes as she covered her face, repeating the words over and over again under her breath. "I-I almost… y-you… someone like me…" 

Stunned at the incomprehensible phrases, Shirou quickly gathered his wits and cursed himself for losing control. "Sakura, wait. I'm sor—" he reached for her, confusion etched on his features, as he tried to hear what Sakura was saying. 

"No!" 

"—!" 

The red-headed flinched backwards at her tone. Watching her once again apologize for no reason. "Y-You c-can't… I-I won't be able to control myself… Please…"

"Don't apologize, it's my fault." 

She flinched away as he tried to approach her again. "Please don't. I… I'm not good enough. I don't deserve you, Senpai." The words tumbled out in a choked whisper, horrified at her action and noticed fear showing within her eyes as he got closer. 

Unable to just ignore her state, Shirou knew he had to calm her down somehow. "Sorry, it's my fault, I didn't mean to push things so f—"

"…I'm not a virgin." 

As soon as those words left her mouth, Shirou came to a complete halt and watched wide-eyed as she was once again unable to meet his gaze and turned away. Sakura fled from the bathroom with the door slamming shut behind her, leaving him completely stunned and alone.

"…What?"

Shirou sat there, stunned, his mind a blank slate as he tried to process what had just transpired. The seconds ticked by, feeling like an eternity as he struggled to make sense of Sakura's words and actions. He barely registered the cool tile beneath him as he slumped down, his thoughts a jumbled mess.

Just as he was about to force himself to move, to go after her, the soft click of heels on tile caught his attention. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of long, purple hair. Rider had arrived, her presence both a relief and a new source of confusion.

"You heard everything?" In the end, he ended up asking instead, his voice soft and barely audible. And to his question, she nodded. 

"I hoped things would have gone differently," she admitted. "It is not your fault, Master." 

Not his fault? It was hard to believe that this would not have happened had he kept a tighter hold on his desires. "What makes you believe I was thinking that?" 

She shrugged. "A guess." 

Had this been any other moment, he would have made a small retort, but now he couldn't care less. Sakura's previous words repeated in his mind and the face she made, one that was on the verge of tears. 

"Can you go check up on her, Rider… Or maybe I should." 

Just as he was about to go, the woman held her hand against his chest and gently pushed him back. "I will do it. You can go get dressed, or else you will be running around the house with your little friend here out in the open, Master." 

"I'll put on some clothes, we can both talk to Sakura. I can't leave her like this." While he was embarrassed having Rider see him in this state, Shirou's concern for the violet-haired girl far exceeded his embarrassment. 

"You don't understand." His senses came back to him when he sensed Rider poke the lower part of his stomach, looking down at his member despite having a blindfold on. Lowering her head till she was whispering into his ear, to his shame, sent a shiver down his back. "You still haven't managed to calm down from the looks of it." 

"..."

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(A few minutes later)

"What do you think I should say?" 

Having taken Rider's advice and getting dressed up, Shirou stood tensely in his bedroom. Remembering what Sakura mentioned back then and unsure where to start. 

"Speak to her truthfully," the Heroic Spirit answered as if the answer should have been obvious to him. In hindsight she was right, his nerves were getting the best of him. "Don't overthink it, that's the last thing you should do right now. Just be confident as you were inside the bathroom, Master." 

Shirou raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You seem surprised by what happened back there. Wasn't this your plan all along?"

Rider's lips curved into a small smile. "I had a feeling something might happen, but I didn't expect you to be so... proactive. It appears I underestimated you, Master. Color me impressed."

He was not sure whether to take it as a compliment or not, it was hard to tell with her. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the hallway prepared to confront Sakura and hopefully discuss whatever that was. He did not show it in front of Rider, but he was anxious about the last part she said. 

The way the girl confessed those words was enough for him to understand he needed to hear what was going on from her directly… or even from Zouken's mouth. It had something to do with him, the worms he saw within her was enough for him to be half the mind to just storm over there and demand answers. 

That option was dangerous before, but now his odds didn't seem as low with Rider by his side.

Shinji was another piece of this puzzle, no matter how much he tried to distance himself. Even if he wasn't a mage, Shirou doubted his former friend was completely in the dark about his family's affairs. Sooner or later, Shinji would have to give him answers. It would be easier to talk to him now that they were in the Archery club together, as even though they were in the same class they kept their distance.

"You look ready for a fight," Rider observed, eyeing him over her shoulder. Her tone was casual, but there was a hint of curiosity. "Plotting revenge already, Master?"

"No, I was just thinking about someone… Rider, what's going on?" As he was about to give his answer, the redhead stopped as he noticed his Servant whip her head around and head immediately towards the direction of Sakura's room. The reaction only made him more confused for a brief moment before he immediately went on the alert and began analyzing his surroundings with Structural Grasping.

Before he could get an answer to the question, she'd pulled him over to Sakura's room and quickly opened the sliding door for both of them to come to witness an empty room. A bunch of messy clothes are thrown out of the haphazardly looking wardrobe. "She's not here." 

"Shit," realizing what was going on, he did not waste time and turned heels and immediately started running outside. "Sakura!" 

{Break}

"Hah… hah… hah…,"

She couldn't believe what happened. On the streets with the sun soon settling over the horizon, Sakura hastily moved as far away as she could from the house. 

"How could I … " Guilt raged within her heart, the image of what just happened emerging to remind her again and again. Despite having regained some of her control, her body continued to yearn for his touch. The moment at the bathroom having pushed the girl past her limit. 

But she could not do such a thing with him regardless of how much she wanted to do it. He did not deserve that, to be stained by her tainted body and remain clueless about the truth. 

It sickened her how much willpower it took to break free of the hold, how much her body craved his touch and his kiss lingering on her lips sending waves of pleasure she never experienced. He was inexperienced, she could tell and despite that he tried his best. That realization made her lose her mind from the pleasure that flooded the girl's body and only at the last second did she barely manage to come to her senses. 

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" 

It was supposed to be a simple bath Rider set up, where she could repay him the favor of helping her by a simple bath scrubbing. To scold him from putting his life in danger, to take better care of himself, and just be close to him. But her body betrayed her, growing hot by just touching his back once and leading her to take advantage of their trust. 

She despised herself so much at this very moment. 

"I can't stay there… I can't… " 

In an act of desperation, she revealed one truth about herself. Despair clinging to her mind as it begged her to not say it, but he deserved to know the truth. Perhaps she wanted him to feel disgust at her, to realize how dirty the girl he protected truly was and save himself from being deceived.

She still did not want to go back to Zouken, but now she could not bring herself to return to Shirou's house. Even now she was not sure she'd be able to control herself if she tried to approach him again, the side effects having grown worse by the moment.

Without even realizing, she found herself back at the park, with night soon settling there with no one in sight. Far enough from the house where she could stay here for a while and just… calm down. 

"Sakura?" Yet that moment of quietness did not last long. She turned her head to the voice and saw a figure standing there, her eyes widening at who it was. For some reason, she was holding onto a notebook. Violet eyes stared at aqua, and a clear concern was present within the other ones the moment she saw the state of the purple-haired girl. 

"Nee-san…" those words barely left her mouth without her realizing, the next moment she saw Rin practically teleport next to her. 

"Sakura! W-What happened to you?" She exclaimed, any prior calmness and composure she possessed whenever they usually interacted with one another was completely gone, replaced with an emotion she had never seen from her in a long while… since back when they were kids, genuine panic and concern. "You look like a mess! Did you get attacked? Are you hurt? Who did this? Is it Shinji? Emiya? Why are you crying!?" 

A barrage of questions came out of her mouth, her hands moving all over trying to fix her hair and wipe her tears. 

"Tell me what happened, whoever hurt you I'll deal with them, I swear if Emiya d—" she had to cover the latter's mouth, knowing the kind of conclusion she would reach, as well as misunderstandings. Not wanting to taint his name and cause the boy more trouble with the others, she shook her head with a bitter smile. 

"No… no one hurt me. In fact… I was the one who ended up hurting him…" she confessed, feeling more tears streaming down her face. Moving her free hand to cover her eyes, she could feel the tears as they fell, could feel her knees getting weak, and ended up accidently leaning more into Rin. Her reaction made the twin-tailed girl feel even more panicked, hastily changing the topic and trying to comfort her with a series of soothing words.

"Sakura…i-it's okay…no matter what happened over there…everything will all be okay. Just…let it out, and whatever happened we can handle it…together."

She was not good at it, but Sakura ended up just accepting her embrace. "I… I almost crossed a line with senpai that I should not have and told him the truth. I don't know if I can face him…," 

"Eh? What do you mean by that? What happened between you two?" 

It was clear Rin was barely managing to get a hold of the situation, trying to understand but more concerned with Sakura's state more than anything else. Her face grew awkward when she hesitated to caress her hair, her movements stiff, but she never tried to push her away. "Tell me about everything, please. I don't know what happened, but you can trust me, I'll help you in any way I can."

Help… no, at this moment Sakura knew she did not need help, especially from a Second Owner who's duty established that she knew all the mages in the area. Having Rin get involved with this matter was not a good idea and it would implicate Shirou in ways he would probably want to avoid. She knew of his nature as a Magus and Master, but that did not apply to Rin who most likely still thought him to be a regular boy. 

"... No, it's fine… I'll handle this by myself… " 

"Like hell you are! You expect me to ignore you after seeing this!? Do you take me for an idiot!?" The other party pressed on, shaking her by the shoulders with an enraged face still laced with concern. 

'They are similar,' she thought, seeing the parallels between Rin and a certain redhead. It made her feel worse, finding herself to be unworthy to be on the receiving end of such a care. 

"Please, just let me go." 

She had to leave, Shirou was most likely searching for her right now. Yet her plea only made the hold on her shoulders grow stronger, as if Rin was willing to pin her in place and not let her run away. 

Yet as she was about to use force if needed, both girls felt a chill crawl up their spines as the temperature around them felt like it dropped by several degrees. All of a sudden barely seen clouds could be seen surrounding the park cutting it off from the rest of the world.

'A Bounded Field.' Both thought at the same time.

"Oh my, I did not expect to come across such a touching scene at an hour like this. How quaint." From the entrance of the park, a voice spoke from above the wall strangely enough. 

"You…" Raising her head, Sakura found a snow white haired girl sitting there, a beautiful doll-like face who she remembered having encountered briefly in the past. Smiling so innocently but those crimson orbs of hers now holding an emotion she could barely make sense of right now. 

"Who are you?" Rin wasted no time and pushed Sakura behind her, standing in between them with her hands grabbing a jewel hidden within her pocket. Her demeanor cautious and even slightly defensive at the presence of this unknown individual. 

"As the second owner, I am a bit offended you would not know me. But then again, the fault also lies with me for expecting much from you in the first place." The little girl said with a slight smile, hopping to the ground and elegantly bowing at an irritated Rin. "Evening to you, Rin Tohsaka and you as well, SakuraMatou. I am Illyasviel Von Einzbern — but you can call me Illya."

"Von… Einzbern?" 

Sakura and Rin reacted similarly to hearing the name. Their bodies stiffened at the mention, and they remembered their familiarity with its origin and history. This only made the latter grow even more cautious around the newest arrival. 

"I am sorry to cut this heartwarming scene short, but it was starting to irritate me the longer I watched. So please, just stand in your spot and don't move, I will make it as painless as possible. Go ahead, Berserker. I can use your heads as a wonderful first meeting gift for my big brother~!" 

Neither one of the girls had time to react as a large shadow suddenly appeared before them. Towering over their small figure with its body blocking the light itself, holding onto a weapon big enough to crush them into pulp, being swung downwards. 

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.