"T-T-Tohsaka?!"
She looked very much the same as she had nine years ago: tall, athletic, and glamorous. Her hair was out of its usual twin ponytails, instead flowing in one unbroken waterfall down the back of her coat. She was a little more curvaceous in some places than Shirou remembered, and it certainly wasn't lost on him.
She scoffed. "Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?"
"Oh! Ah, no, no, please come in," he moved around to let her in. She walked into the foyer carrying a briefcase. Shirou looked outside, where there were several large suitcases. He shook his head but closed the door to attend to Rin.
"Can I get you some tea?" he asked, already on his way to the kitchen.
"Sure, whatever." She followed him and sat down at the kotatsu. She carefully set the briefcase beside her.
He brought in the tea set and poured two cups. He fingered his nervously; she didn't touch hers. Instead, she examined her nails. It was a tense moment.
"Wow, it's been so long... what, uh, what brings you back to town?" he asked, trying to break the ice.
"It was time to come back," she said vaguely. Shirou nodded as if he understood. Rin smiled inwardly; he always tried so hard to please. "Guess I should get right to business," she declared, putting the briefcase on the tabletop.
"Business?"
She made no response as she opened case and took out something wrapped in tissue paper.
"A souvenir?" Shirou asked innocently.
Rin snorted and brought the item into Shirou's line of sight. "Not quite..."
"A bone?!" he cried. It was a jawbone.
"Technically, yes," she said matter-of-factly, "but under certain circumstances, it is also a summoning Artifact."
Shirou stared up at Rin in anger. "You can't be serious! Summoning a Servant! You want to start another war?!"
Without losing her composure, a feat for the woman, she got very close to his face. "You mean you don't want to see Arturia again?"
