A couple of stories that didn't fit neatly in the events thus far.

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An Answered Prayer?

(Several Days before the "official" start of the Holy Grail War)

(Fuyuki Church)

(Matou Sakura)

"Rejoice, girl." The priest said from behind the girl who was about to exit Fuyuki's church, as though their earlier conversation had not ended. "Your wish will, at last, come true."

She paused at the door as he continued, "After all, is it not written to proclaim release to the captive?"

Her soft footsteps away was more of a rejection than any scoffing.

It was only later that night that she discovered the Grail's Command Seals on her left hand. She cried.

I had hoped that grandfather would be the one it picked.

From the door of her room, Shinji looked upon the figure of his adopted sister. "There's another way, if you're willing to break the rules..."

She would not meet the friendly priest again for some time, but that's another story...

(Kotomine Kirei)

"What is this now?" Gilgamesh commented, appearing from the door to the church's basement childcare. He glanced through the open doors to the outside and spotted the figure of the church's leaving visitor. "Dragging in more children for your obscene diversions?"

"Do you know something I don't?" asked the Servant's second Master, thinking of the call he had received earlier in the day from Germany. He hoped their newest fixer was, if perhaps not as frighteningly competent, more dependable than their last hire. It seemed that this Grail War would be the last "open" one if the Einzbern family had anything to say about it.

"Oh? Aren't you the overseer?" he replied. "Maybe the Grail just doesn't like you enough to tell you?"

"He who desires to save his life..." Kirei said, more to himself than to his long-time conversation partner. "If she is freed when I kill that worm Zoken, all the better to spite him. But I wonder if she even desires to live herself."

"But for a good man, one might dare to die? That girl's already all wrong, ah..." Gilgamesh paused dramatically in the middle of needling the priest. "You're wondering how she'll react when you kill that Emiya."

"It's just a job. If it wasn't for that name he picked up, this Emiya would be of no interest to magi or the Church."

"Hmph." Gilgamesh turned around as his name was called from further within. "Both of those treat the Grail system as some sort of toy. You should know better."

"I do. With all my heart."

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Exquisite cuisine

(Late afternoon of Day 4, before the battle at the school)

(Fuyuki shopping district)

(Shirou)

A Master hesitated upon seeing the War's overseer seated at the restaurant within, the priest in turn immediately noticing him because he had stopped abruptly at the door.

He didn't know the man, but Fuyuki had only one priest that he knew of, and Rin had told him to stay away in order to avoid detection. At the same time, as Sasaku pushed her way past him, he noticed not one but two bowls of a particular dish the magus had also warned him about. Kirei saw the subject of his attention.

"Rejoice, boy." He announced with some relish in his voice that did not show in his strangely quit eyes. "You have found the site of one of, no my only favorite dish. Come. Sit down. Taste and see that it is very good."

Seeing as they had already been spotted, Sasaku boldly took a seat in the crowded place, sitting down next to Kirei. After a moment, Shirou joined her.

Kirei who had by then resumed eating his brilliantly red dish, paused to look at his two fellow customers. "You really should try the mapo tofu."

"Mapo tofu!"Rin had cursed the dish in great deal, while eating Shirou's cooking, ranting about how her guardian could never the trusted to deal with food without trying to 'murder' her with the spicy dish.

"I think... I will go for something more traditional," Shirou said quickly, causing the priest to sigh in disappointment and take another mouthful of his meal to console himself with its fiery bite.

"Oh that?" the cook said, after hearing the boy's order. "That's quite a common favorite. What about your lady friend?"

"I'll have what he is," Sasaku said brightly, indicating Kirei's choice. The man smiled thinly to himself in amusement as his favorite chef blinked in surprise before responding with "That's the special version."

"Sounds great!"

"I'll cover her meal," Kirei said suddenly. "Well, if she finishes it. Wasting such a feast would be a sin."

Shirou, over his own meal, looked suspiciously as his Servant took a small spoonful from a bowl that indeed matched what Kirei had been eating. The magi and priest both waited for her reaction.

"Hmm..." she murmured, taking another bite before commenting. "A powerfully spiced flavor." A few mouthfuls later, "Sharp, no compromises or dilution of the heat."

Giving in to his curiosity, Shirou reached out a spoon to Sasaku's bowl. She moved it towards him so he could 'sneak' a bite.

He promptly choked and spluttered as soon as it touched his tongue. Kirei looked extremely amused.

(Kirei)

Kirei watched as Shirou and the Servant left. He thought for a moment before asking for the bowl next to him to be boxed up. Gilgamesh had taken the first excuse to run away from his hated dish, but of course when he returned later on, Kirei intended to ensure he be would having it for dinner.

He thought to himself about what Gilgamesh had said to him before. Could it be that he really hated someone for the sins of their father? Even with such a tenuous parent-child relationship?

No, each one should die for their own sins, after all.

Or perhaps it was indeed that, after hearing about him through the Matou girl, he was just very curious about what might happen to her if, no when, the Einzbern cleaner mopped him up. It was always possible to fall into deeper hells of despair...

Though if he had a Servant - certainly there were some ways but he wasn't a magus who could use them, so what exactly was going on?

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Notes:
These just didn't have a "neat" place to go, but there's some relevant details so here they are.
Next arc, more people stabbing around in the dark of the fog of war.