AU History: Archer doesn't remember his childhood very much. His first memory was a terrible fire roughly two decades ago. An entire neighborhood in Leith went up in flames and, somehow, most of the people in that particular area were beyond saving. They died in the fire while he was the only one to survive, saved by the one man who would later adopt him during his stay at the hospital. The experience of being the sole survivor of the fire would irreparably break a part of him and cause him to believe that he shouldn't have survived the fire while everyone else caught in it had died. His savior, his adoptive father, became a shining example of a hero to him in his youth. His adoptive father would tell him about his dream to be a hero who could save people from harm and make their lives better. Entranced by that ideal, Archer spent his youth trying to help others and work his way up to become a Firefighter and save lives as often as he possibly could. His adoptive father died after a few years, leaving Archer with an estate and no other family to speak of aside from a few neighbors who would visit from time to time.
The years ticked by and Archer became a figure in his school and community, famous for being a handyman who would go out of his way to repair tech on the spot after being taught everything he knew by his adoptive father. He did minor jobs for pretty much anyone who asked him. He never took on hobbies out of a desire to enjoy them rather than to help others have fun. He would play sports solely to fill necessary roles, volunteer for jobs when people were shorthanded and do whatever he could to look out for others who couldn't. Eventually, when he discovered he had a talent in archery, Archer didn’t pursue it as a sport on a daily basis since he would lose time that he could have spent helping others, instead. Working as a firefighter full time, Archer's dangerous state of mind put a distance between himself and those he had relationships. He wouldn't have friends or girlfriends very long at all, coming back from work with injuries he could have avoided. Plunging himself into danger as often as possible, it became clear to those close to him that he seemed to have a deathwish. His belief that he shouldn't have survived the fire spurred him on to try and repay the world for continuing to live. His survivor's guilt prevented him from caring about himself and lead him to believe that he didn't truly deserve to live or be happy, crippling him emotionally for some years. Even so, his stubborn nature pushed past that and he tried to pursue his dream of being a hero. It made him happy to be useful to others, which seemed like the only acceptable way for him to experience that emotion due to his survivor's guilt.
Sometime after he became a veteran firefighter, Archer found himself in a blaze that couldn't be controlled easily in a noble's district on Leith. Refusing to let the unwieldy nature of the fire stop him, he rushed to save as many people as he could, suffering from exhaustion, smoke inhalation and eventually--a mortal wound from a falling beam just before reaching the last person left alive. All he could remember at that time was praying out loud, for the strength to help them He managed to pry himself free long enough to rescue the last person left in the blaze but he died briefly on the operating table later on that day. Before being declared dead, an unnamed surgeon stepped in and offered a last-ditch treatment to save his life. Perplexed, the head surgeon allowed it to happen, and Archer came back to life through the use of nanomachines stolen from The Company, provided by the surgeon who Archer had saved earlier that day. The surgeon inspired that Archer had shown a great deal of courage and selflessness, decided to steal the nanomachines in the hope of keeping him alive so he could keep saving lives. Unfortunately, this action leads to the surgeon's expulsion from The Company for stealing its resources and research, and it left Archer with a choice. If returned the nanomachines, he would end up crippled, and his career would end then and there. If he chose to repay the Company, he could work it off and live on so he could help more and more people. The choice was easy. Without a care in the world for his life, he accepted.
He tried, for a few years, to continue being a firefighter and a Company enforcer, pulled along to work as a bodyguard. Eventually, Archer's 'ownership' found its way to the original researcher who had designed the nanomachines in Archer's body. The scientist responsible for Archer decided to make a much better use of him than other Company officials had. He used the nanomachines inside of Archer to manipulate his memories and experiences. His new owner noticed Archer's penchant for throwing himself in the way of danger for others and decided to capitalize on it. With the nanomachines that saved his life, this researcher manipulated Archer to take on countless simulations of fights, wars, and life or death situations to give him as much experience necessary to operate as an exceptionally effective Enforcer. Being put through so much stress in a short time and, due to the immoral decisions he was forced to make in numerous simulations, Archer's old mindset was severed from him. Losing quite a few memories from his past as a result of being bombarded with traumatic ones, he immediately lost hold of who he used to be. On top of this all, the simulations he experienced were based off real events that had taken place the nearby planets and moons. He couldn't dismiss them as fictional and realized that his decisions could easily lead to deaths and they could talk to survivors. For what felt like a thousand years of experience, Archer was forced to make decisions that went against his ideals in a desperate attempt to save as many people as he could. By the end of it, Archer came to realize that he couldn't possibly be a hero and save lives with everything in the World working as it was. At some time, to save more people, he would have to sacrifice others. For ten people to live, one would have to die. He would have to kill a corrupt officer to save many civilians. He would have to ignore some cries of help to make way for others. In one short afternoon of these simulations, Archer was forced to concede that his heroic ideal was a fantasy manufactured by the admiration he felt towards the man who saved him.
The experiment had been a success. Used by shadowy higher-ups in The Company for years after that point, Archer retired as a firefighter and went full-time as an Enforcer. He took on jobs to kill enemies of The Company in secret from his handlers under the belief that it would save more people down the line. He conceded that he couldn't save everyone and abandoned the weaker part of his dream to enforce the one that was within his power. The constant use of nanomachines would alter him physically, darkening his skin and turning his hair white. Archer would eventually cease to resemble the person he used to be. Taking the name 'Archer' due to his particular talent in archery, he became a heartless hitman for the corrupt officials that would exploit the desire to help innocent people.
Inventory: A ruby pendant which was originally used to save some idiot’s life a long time ago.
Samples: Game-Verse The mansion had been auctioned off. The place he used to live both as a child and as a reckless adult was no longer in his possession. For the most part, it made sense. He was declared dead. Archer, seated among the crowd purchasing goods that were left from its 'previous owner', went unnoticed. He hadn't returned to the mansion since his death on the operating table. He realized it would have been traumatic for him to return to the few neighbors who loved him when they had known he was truly and utterly dead. Surprisingly, he didn't feel very much when he returned. The old homestead he had grown up in filled him with a dull ache that he realized was homesickness. It was dulled to the point of nothingness, after awhile.
What surprised a few of the residents who had known Shirou, when he was alive, had been that this mysterious dark-skinned Company-man had been purchasing Shirou's old cookery in its entirety. Utensils, pots, pans, etc. He even paid twice the price for the rice cooker. There were a few old-fashioned lamps thrown in and even some linens. For the most part, he didn't buy anything of immense value nor did he even attempt to bid for the estate, itself.
"Did you know him?" He remembered the voice and the face of the woman who approached him, her eyes red with the promise that she hadn't gotten through the auction very well. She had been Shirou's teacher for a few years in school and a neighbor close to him. Archer felt no surprise that nothing about seeing her prompted any real reaction from him. This was someone who he thought of as a sister. Many people would have been compelled to greet her in a familiar and jovial way and would have happily told her they were actually alive but there wasn't any merit in it. In the few months he had been a Company Enforcer, his actions changed who he had once been. He was dead to her, either way. So, in a way, he had already passed the point of worrying about the people he was forced to leave behind. "You... You really outbid me on a lot of the things I wanted to keep."
He could tell she was taking it with some humor, though. She smiled, almost wolfishly, as she accused him, "Don't tell me you're an admirer of his. Just about everyone here loved when he cooked for them."
"No, I've never met him," Archer looked away, his expression becoming chillier than it had been throughout the auction. "It just looks expertly maintained."
"At least take care of it," She turned to leave, her own frown showing some confusion. She had looked at him long enough to see something in him but didn't see what it was, specifically. After awhile, she turned to fix an accusatory look on him. For some reason, that look of hers actually managed to make him falter just the slightest. His feeling that he hadn't cared for any of them anymore had crystallized into a smaller, tougher motivation to find. He was sure the brutal process of altering his memories would have gotten rid of that. "He treated it immaculately for years and fixed it all very routinely, so you better not let any of it break or warp."
He had loaded it all into a loading craft to be delivered to his apartment. Archer sat beside his handler in the back seat, setting his hands on his lap in a passive and, ultimately, relaxed posture. Turning to face Archer, his handler asked one question.
"Are you alright?"
"What you mean to ask," Archer began, shutting his eyes for a moment. He paused, weighing his words and deciding that the direct approach would furnish the best results. "...Is, am I emotionally compromised? The answer is 'no'. All I'm irritated about is... having to pay three times the price for the things I already owned."
He let the last few words hang out dryly, giving his handler an equally dark look. In return, the Company-man responsible for him chuckled and signaled the driver to leave.
Archer | Fate/Stay Night | Reserved
The years ticked by and Archer became a figure in his school and community, famous for being a handyman who would go out of his way to repair tech on the spot after being taught everything he knew by his adoptive father. He did minor jobs for pretty much anyone who asked him. He never took on hobbies out of a desire to enjoy them rather than to help others have fun. He would play sports solely to fill necessary roles, volunteer for jobs when people were shorthanded and do whatever he could to look out for others who couldn't. Eventually, when he discovered he had a talent in archery, Archer didn’t pursue it as a sport on a daily basis since he would lose time that he could have spent helping others, instead. Working as a firefighter full time, Archer's dangerous state of mind put a distance between himself and those he had relationships. He wouldn't have friends or girlfriends very long at all, coming back from work with injuries he could have avoided. Plunging himself into danger as often as possible, it became clear to those close to him that he seemed to have a deathwish. His belief that he shouldn't have survived the fire spurred him on to try and repay the world for continuing to live. His survivor's guilt prevented him from caring about himself and lead him to believe that he didn't truly deserve to live or be happy, crippling him emotionally for some years. Even so, his stubborn nature pushed past that and he tried to pursue his dream of being a hero. It made him happy to be useful to others, which seemed like the only acceptable way for him to experience that emotion due to his survivor's guilt.
Sometime after he became a veteran firefighter, Archer found himself in a blaze that couldn't be controlled easily in a noble's district on Leith. Refusing to let the unwieldy nature of the fire stop him, he rushed to save as many people as he could, suffering from exhaustion, smoke inhalation and eventually--a mortal wound from a falling beam just before reaching the last person left alive. All he could remember at that time was praying out loud, for the strength to help them He managed to pry himself free long enough to rescue the last person left in the blaze but he died briefly on the operating table later on that day. Before being declared dead, an unnamed surgeon stepped in and offered a last-ditch treatment to save his life. Perplexed, the head surgeon allowed it to happen, and Archer came back to life through the use of nanomachines stolen from The Company, provided by the surgeon who Archer had saved earlier that day. The surgeon inspired that Archer had shown a great deal of courage and selflessness, decided to steal the nanomachines in the hope of keeping him alive so he could keep saving lives. Unfortunately, this action leads to the surgeon's expulsion from The Company for stealing its resources and research, and it left Archer with a choice. If returned the nanomachines, he would end up crippled, and his career would end then and there. If he chose to repay the Company, he could work it off and live on so he could help more and more people. The choice was easy. Without a care in the world for his life, he accepted.
He tried, for a few years, to continue being a firefighter and a Company enforcer, pulled along to work as a bodyguard. Eventually, Archer's 'ownership' found its way to the original researcher who had designed the nanomachines in Archer's body. The scientist responsible for Archer decided to make a much better use of him than other Company officials had. He used the nanomachines inside of Archer to manipulate his memories and experiences. His new owner noticed Archer's penchant for throwing himself in the way of danger for others and decided to capitalize on it. With the nanomachines that saved his life, this researcher manipulated Archer to take on countless simulations of fights, wars, and life or death situations to give him as much experience necessary to operate as an exceptionally effective Enforcer. Being put through so much stress in a short time and, due to the immoral decisions he was forced to make in numerous simulations, Archer's old mindset was severed from him. Losing quite a few memories from his past as a result of being bombarded with traumatic ones, he immediately lost hold of who he used to be. On top of this all, the simulations he experienced were based off real events that had taken place the nearby planets and moons. He couldn't dismiss them as fictional and realized that his decisions could easily lead to deaths and they could talk to survivors. For what felt like a thousand years of experience, Archer was forced to make decisions that went against his ideals in a desperate attempt to save as many people as he could. By the end of it, Archer came to realize that he couldn't possibly be a hero and save lives with everything in the World working as it was. At some time, to save more people, he would have to sacrifice others. For ten people to live, one would have to die. He would have to kill a corrupt officer to save many civilians. He would have to ignore some cries of help to make way for others. In one short afternoon of these simulations, Archer was forced to concede that his heroic ideal was a fantasy manufactured by the admiration he felt towards the man who saved him.
The experiment had been a success. Used by shadowy higher-ups in The Company for years after that point, Archer retired as a firefighter and went full-time as an Enforcer. He took on jobs to kill enemies of The Company in secret from his handlers under the belief that it would save more people down the line. He conceded that he couldn't save everyone and abandoned the weaker part of his dream to enforce the one that was within his power. The constant use of nanomachines would alter him physically, darkening his skin and turning his hair white. Archer would eventually cease to resemble the person he used to be. Taking the name 'Archer' due to his particular talent in archery, he became a heartless hitman for the corrupt officials that would exploit the desire to help innocent people.
CRAU: N/A
Original History: Here!
Inventory: A ruby pendant which was originally used to save some idiot’s life a long time ago.
Samples:
Game-Verse
The mansion had been auctioned off. The place he used to live both as a child and as a reckless adult was no longer in his possession. For the most part, it made sense. He was declared dead. Archer, seated among the crowd purchasing goods that were left from its 'previous owner', went unnoticed. He hadn't returned to the mansion since his death on the operating table. He realized it would have been traumatic for him to return to the few neighbors who loved him when they had known he was truly and utterly dead. Surprisingly, he didn't feel very much when he returned. The old homestead he had grown up in filled him with a dull ache that he realized was homesickness. It was dulled to the point of nothingness, after awhile.
What surprised a few of the residents who had known Shirou, when he was alive, had been that this mysterious dark-skinned Company-man had been purchasing Shirou's old cookery in its entirety. Utensils, pots, pans, etc. He even paid twice the price for the rice cooker. There were a few old-fashioned lamps thrown in and even some linens. For the most part, he didn't buy anything of immense value nor did he even attempt to bid for the estate, itself.
"Did you know him?" He remembered the voice and the face of the woman who approached him, her eyes red with the promise that she hadn't gotten through the auction very well. She had been Shirou's teacher for a few years in school and a neighbor close to him. Archer felt no surprise that nothing about seeing her prompted any real reaction from him. This was someone who he thought of as a sister. Many people would have been compelled to greet her in a familiar and jovial way and would have happily told her they were actually alive but there wasn't any merit in it. In the few months he had been a Company Enforcer, his actions changed who he had once been. He was dead to her, either way. So, in a way, he had already passed the point of worrying about the people he was forced to leave behind. "You... You really outbid me on a lot of the things I wanted to keep."
He could tell she was taking it with some humor, though. She smiled, almost wolfishly, as she accused him, "Don't tell me you're an admirer of his. Just about everyone here loved when he cooked for them."
"No, I've never met him," Archer looked away, his expression becoming chillier than it had been throughout the auction. "It just looks expertly maintained."
"At least take care of it," She turned to leave, her own frown showing some confusion. She had looked at him long enough to see something in him but didn't see what it was, specifically. After awhile, she turned to fix an accusatory look on him. For some reason, that look of hers actually managed to make him falter just the slightest. His feeling that he hadn't cared for any of them anymore had crystallized into a smaller, tougher motivation to find. He was sure the brutal process of altering his memories would have gotten rid of that. "He treated it immaculately for years and fixed it all very routinely, so you better not let any of it break or warp."
He had loaded it all into a loading craft to be delivered to his apartment. Archer sat beside his handler in the back seat, setting his hands on his lap in a passive and, ultimately, relaxed posture. Turning to face Archer, his handler asked one question.
"Are you alright?"
"What you mean to ask," Archer began, shutting his eyes for a moment. He paused, weighing his words and deciding that the direct approach would furnish the best results. "...Is, am I emotionally compromised? The answer is 'no'. All I'm irritated about is... having to pay three times the price for the things I already owned."
He let the last few words hang out dryly, giving his handler an equally dark look. In return, the Company-man responsible for him chuckled and signaled the driver to leave.
Also, TDM Here, for good measure!
Miscellaneous Notes: Phew!