Irhaboggle Pride (2022) Gaylor Swift's Version

Stay Beautiful, Dorothea

Even though, outwardly, Waver's face was full of boredom and despair as he watched Rider zigzag across the street like an overly-excited, oversized puppy wanting to explore every interesting thing he saw (which was everything), inwardly, Waver's "expression" was entirely different. He was watching Rider, after all, that had to count for something. And he wasn't doing it just to keep an eye on the wild man. It was because Waver couldn't take his eyes off of him. It was something he'd never confess to, never ever ever ever, but he didn't miss a single thing Rider did...

Rider's eyes are wild like the jungle and when he smiles it's like a radio lighting up the room with a favorite song everyone knows. He whispered things into every shop window they passed, speaking in a language that nobody knew, but his overjoyed tone made the gist of it clear. But, for one second, Waver's eyes were distracted, taken off of Rider. There were pretty girls on every corner of this street, they were in one of the busiest shopping centers of Fuyuki, after all, and all of them were watching Rider as well.

Some of them had slack jaws, others practically had heart eyes, and a few looked close to swooning while others were trying to get a closer look. Some of them were staring up in amazement at his massive height, others were ogling his enormous muscles, and some seemed attracted to the childlike wonder in his eyes and smile, and it made them smile, too. Waver was the only one frowning. Maybe that wasn't new, but he was frowning harder than normal, both at Rider and all the pretty girls.

As he came closer to a few of them while crossing the street, he heard them whisper, "Does he know?" still looking Rider up and down, even turning around to get a few extra peeks at him. Even though it made Waver growl in annoyance, for once, he couldn't help but agree with them. As he looked after Rider, still trapezing around the city in delight and awe, Waver could only shake his head and think, Will you ever know?

And finally, out came the thoughts he knew he would never ever ever ever say ever! You're wonderful, every single piece, love. And don't you know, you're really going to be someone? Maybe Waver made his exasperation with Rider all too clear on practically a minutely basis, but he couldn't deny that Rider was still a rather impressive and formidable servant to have. It wasn't just the giant stature or equally giant muscles either. He was the legendary Conqueror-King, Alexander the Great! He had eons of wisdom and experience in combat, as well as a reputation so fearsome that it stood the test of times, as he was one of the older Heroic Spirits in the Grail War and yet people across the world still knew his name.

And that was Waver's next thought. Ask anyone, they know you were, and still could be, Someone. And then came the thing Waver was too afraid to admit, even to himself. As fantastic as it was to have such an epic warrior and universally-renowned king as his servant, in some ways, that made it even worse. Rider was so out of his league, in every way possible! That was why all the girls were ogling him while they didn't even seem to see the shrimpy boy trailing in his shadow. Waver was nothing, and no one. Rider was everything.

But it wasn't just the "outside threat" from other lovesick, lovestruck admirers on the street. Why would Rider want anything to do with a boring weakling of a boy who had, thus far, accomplished nothing when Rider, by contrast, had accomplished some of the greatest feats in history, conquering a large part of the then-known world?

He had so many bigger and better things to do and move onto, and Waver was certain he was never in the picture. He was nothing but a "grail" in his own right, a vessel for Rider's spirit so Rider could claim the actual Holy Grail and then move on. He had no use for someone as useless, pathetic, and pitiful as Waver, at least not in the long-term, Waver was sure of it.

And that was where his most secret thought, the deepest desire he couldn't even admit to himself, came into play: And when you find everything you looked for, I hope your life leads you back to my door. Of course, it was utterly preposterous and absolutely ludicrous. Not only did servants not hang around after the Grail War was over, but again, why would Rider even want to? Surely he was looking to jump ship as soon as he could, right? But even so, as much as the thought broke Waver's heart and left him feeling utterly defeated, he still couldn't help but hope and wish, for Rider's sake, that no matter what happened in the end, he would stay just as wonderful as he ever was.