Rainbows of red and yellow hues filled the branches of deciduous trees of flanking mountains, making the valley appear like a fairy tale. Quaint, shingled roofs atop modest structures rested alongside the bustling main street the Chaldean group walked. The sidewalks were filled with pedestrians in retro fashion and vendors peddling their Halloween wares, causing one's eye to wander from stall to stall among the sidewalk market. Delicious fragrances wafted through the warm autumn air as the sun's light leaned down to kiss the late fifties town.

"Fresh pumpkins! Come get your fresh pumpkins!" "Apple pie for one and all!" "Come get your Halloween decorations here!" "Exotic candies for sale!"

With a smile on her face and a hummed song on her lips, Kuro walked through the humble American town with her companions. The benign singularities were her favorite since she got to travel the world without the need for constant vigilance. Instead of caution, she walked blissfully with one hand inside her red sweatshirt and the other on the strap of her specialized backpack. Her jean shorts did little to keep the wind's chilling caress from her gracing her legs, but it wasn't as bad now that she was a pseudo-servant.

Her eyes just continued to glance from stall to stall as she spearheaded the Chaldean group. Gabrielle was with the main force collecting raw materials in a secluded part of the valley, away from prying eyes. Gudao was also in town, but accompanied by another group as they bartered and shopped for other supplies. That left their own little group to complete personal errands requested by other servants. It was the perfect match for their detachment's primary task.

Kuro glanced back to look at the wonder-filled Anishka, who gently held the brief shopping list in one hand as she looked around the area. Besides her newly minted Chaldean Master uniform, which hugged her curves flawlessly, the master-in-training wore a pleasant smile. Beside her, Rama was gracefully enjoying his disciple's attitude as he kept close company in his red and white track suit.

On her other side was Marie, who currently had her mouth happily buried in a pumpkin scone. She was careful not to get any crumbs onto her red blouse or denims as she ate. Rounding out their visible group was Illya, who walked right beside Kuro with another of Chaldea's specialized holding backpacks. She wore her own white sweater and jeans to keep warm for the sortie. Her sister was also keenly looking around for specific items, since the two of them were on a secret second mission.

Thankfully, all of their objectives should be easy to accomplish while escorting the Indian employee. This was Anishka's first leyshift since being identified as a master candidate last week. Since then, she had been spending plenty of time with various servants while training to properly become an asset on deployments. This supply sortie was to get her accustomed to leyshifting and its potential first-timer side effects. By the look on her face, there was definitely no sign of the intense nausea that Gabrielle suffered.

Doesn't hurt to ask though. "You doing alright, Annie?"

The female master-to-be smiled at Kuro and nodded. "Yes, thank you, Kuro… I'm just in awe. Please don't mind me."

Marie and Illya giggled as Rama chuckled. Kuro nodded happily and turned forward again, pulling out hers and Illya's tentative list of possibilities. They would get all the shopping done perfectly while keeping Anishka safe, in addition to the Einzbern sisters' own special quest. They wanted to give their parents proper gifts for their upcoming holidays since they made this month's Sibling's Day extra special. They'd give their brother one too as an apology for forgetting Sibling's Day was actually a thing.

It was the sisters' turn to surprise their family with how much they appreciated them.

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Fragment 52: The Most Priceless Present

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Lush green grass carpeted the town's small park. Mixed with the autumn hues of its trees, it was a welcome pace compared to the bustle of the adjacent main street. Children and families enjoyed picnics here in preparation for Halloween later that evening. Carved Jack-O-Lanterns, scarecrows, and other various props helped set a festive atmosphere for the residents. It certainly placed the Chaldean group in a good mood, though their Halloween was months away.

Anishka's small detachment sat on a cluster of benches in the town's small park, enjoying a small lunch obtained from various vendors. Anishka sat with an eagerly chatting Rama and Marie at a larger bench, while Kuro and Illya shared another. Marie had gotten all of them funnel cake to eat while Heracles in spirit form kept adamant guard over all of them. Kuro and Illya promised to give him some cake when they returned, or earlier if the chance presented itself.

Since today's supply sortie was extra-long to gather the raw materials, it meant Kuro and her sister had plenty of time to find items in this town worth giving. However, there were a few challenges with completing their task. Since Anishka was a master-in-training, she currently had no command seals or a telepathic link to the servants; Though she would always be body-guarded by Rama and Heracles, the sisters also had to stick close to her. This was only the first of the issues.

The second was secrecy, since their family was not allowed to know. Though Kuro believed the others in the group wouldn't just outright tell them, their brother was present among Gudao's group. It should be easy enough to sense his presence, but there definitely was the risk he would find out. Their brother was very keen to pick up on little details, and being overprotective of them didn't help. If anyone would catch on, it would be him.

The last issues were straightforward, but the two never did quite figure them out yet. Illya sighed as she munched on a small piece of the funnel cake, letting the powdered sugar crumbs flake at the sides of her mouth. She whispered, "I hope we find something good for them… But what if it's too expensive?"

"I'll check. Illya, hold my smoothie!" Kuro ordered with a smile as she shoved her pumpkin beverage in Illya's face.

With a sigh, Illya smiled and took the drink in her free hand. "I wish Heracles could hold it."

"As much as I like having our big friend to help us, I don't think these people are going to react well to the two-meter berserker… or maybe he'd be perfect for Halloween," Kuro deliberated with a giggle as she fished her small purse from her jean shorts. She quickly opened the heart shaped purse and looked inside. "I've got three hundred American dollars left from the last allowance we got from Da Vinci… That should be enough, right?"

Illya put a finger to her lips and before nodding. "I think so… I don't know how much that gets us in this time though. Hopefully we don't need anything before our next personal allowance."

Chaldean servants received an allotted amount of money to help buy things they found interesting in a supply sortie. It fluctuated based on how many monetary assets they managed to acquire, whether legally or illegally; If it was the latter, the pirates were to blame, but it was always overlooked since singularities righted themselves. The money was given out biweekly, though extra was given to those headed into town for specific supplies; The masters handled that amount, and were the only employees to see cash these days.

With Chaldea stuck in its plane of existence, there was no actual use for typical finances. None of the staff was worried about having their salaries temporarily frozen; Thanks to all the acquired financial assets and gold, Chaldea had collected more than enough to pay nearly quadruple the staff's yearly salaries upon return plus hazard pay. Just imagining that much money for her own allowance made Kuro envious of them.

"In this decade, that's plenty!" Ruby affirmed from a side pouch on Illya's backpack. The white bag wiggled as the mystic code adjusted itself within, making the small caster's panda keychain swing back and forth on a zipper.

The girls nodded to each other before resuming to eat their food. Kuro tossed the rest of their group a small glance to ensure they weren't looking. They weren't, but she once more caught sight of Anishka looking around the park with bliss as Rama and Marie talked with her. It honestly made Kuro smile just watching her too.

It reminded the small archer of how she felt after manifesting. She had escaped the cavern, and though she was in need of magical energy on a consistent basis, she had been in awe of the world. For too long she had only seen it through Illya's eyes, but then she was freed, letting her appreciate the world for herself. Of course, that feeling of bliss was soon overwhelmed by her overflowing anger and resentment at her sister back then. That was a distant time now, but that look of hers sure brought back some nostalgic feelings.

Thankfully it wouldn't be coupled with any potential negative experiences. Though every era had its own form of moral darkness, the United States in the fifties was known for its racial inequality. Due to some previous experiences with it in past singularities, a capable caster would place an illusion on any affected individuals. In this case, Merlin placed a more refined spell on several headed into town, including Anishka and Kuro, so their skin pigment appeared lighter. It was baffling to her these seemingly nice and civil residents could treat someone with a slightly darker skin so abrasively, but she didn't want to test her theory.

"So, Illya, about what we should get…" Kuro's voice fell off as Illya turned to look at her. More of her lips were covered with powdery sugar, making the archer sigh. With a sudden hint of mischief, she smirked at her perplexed sibling. "You should lick that powder off before I do it for you."

Suddenly bright red, Illya quickly did as suggested and patted it dry with a napkin. Kuro laughed at Illya's knack for being embarrassed easily, making her pout. "Not funny, Kuro!"

"Oh relax… It's not like we have to do it anymore anyway," Kuro waved off nonchalantly. The need for mana transfers was completely gone since the Fate system made them Pseudo-servants. They were still living beings compared to the other heroic spirits, but at least they had a constant supply of magical energy. It meant Kuro would never be in danger of disappearing, which was wonderful when coupled with such a curious new daily life.

In a sudden, plummeting mood, she watched a group of laughing children in the distance. Some had their costumes and played on hay bales, but there was a group of girls sitting on some playground equipment together. They laughed with each other, reminding Kuro of their real world and how much the two of them missed it. Chaldea was incredible, but their friends they left behind would never be replaceable… especially Miyu. If only they could at least bring her here to ensure she-

"I hope you're not thinking of making out with those girls…" Illya seemingly grumbled. Upon hearing that, Kuro turned to look at her incredulously only to spot the glint of distant longing in her red orbs. It was clear she had followed the same train of thought as her. Kuro's expression was discarded instantly.

"Sorry… I just didn't want you feeling depressed," the white-haired caster offered with an apologetic smile.

Kuro huffed at first, but giggled back in appreciation. "Thanks, Illya."


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In hindsight, Kuro should have known the Chaldean Queen of Gossip would have been far more perceptive than she appeared to be. Marie had eyed them making quiet conversations while looking at things girls their age should not be interested in buying, nor likely afford typically. The clever queen had then approached and quietly called them out on it, much to their growing concern. However, it had turned out to be one of the better surprise outcomes.

Marie's calculating gaze carefully looked through one the many shelves holding countless greeting cards, envelopes, and assorted gifts. It was a small store, but a rather loud couple in the back ensured a hushed conversation could go unnoticed. A small radio by the counter blared some classic jazz as a lone ceiling fan spun gently overhead. On the other side of the room were the three targets of her scan, though Heracles remained invisible and watchful.

After checking to ensure Rama and Anishka were still busy picking proper stationary deeper in the Hallmark Card store, Marie pointed to the brick-faced jewelry shop across the street. Kuro looked into the display case with her enhanced vision, seeing the many sparkling jewels among gold and silver settings. It was going to be their next stop since Medea requested a new set of proper jewelry tools. Marie smiled as she ensured no one else was listening, customer or Chaldean alike.

"It's true your mother really gets excited over anything because of her origin, but she's like any other girl at heart. If you get her a necklace with a stone to match her eyes, she'll be overjoyed," the rider stated before pointing to an adjacent appliance store. "Your brother is far simpler, as I'm sure you two know. However, he's been secretly looking for a personal set of barbeque utensils."

"Maybe… but what if he's getting it himself? He is here…" Kuro mumbled to herself as Illya carefully picked through various greeting cards, both for requisitioning servants and themselves.

"True," Marie pondered as she gazed across the row of visible shops. The era combined with the holiday certainly made for an interesting sight. "You might just have to go with the personal apron you two thought of… as for your father, he's never seemed like the materialistic type so he'll be a bit more difficult. Maybe a watch or something simple will be best."

It was embarrassing that Marie knew more about their family's interests than them, but they were truthfully not their real family. From Kuro's point of view, they were better though, since they were so caring and affectionate towards them. It would have been nicer if Shirou was his younger self, but she had learned so much about her own combat style thanks to the dashing older archer. Their father Kiritsugu being present to look after them, instead of endless 'business' trips, was also a nice deal.

In a complete contrast to their other world, Irisviel was the one she appreciated the most of their family. Her love and affection for them was overwhelming since the woman was never actually a mother to begin with. Instead, after inheriting that memorial essence, she had embraced the feelings of being a parent completely and practically spoiled the three siblings. The sisters definitely enjoyed the shower of affection, even if it took some getting used to.

It helped she wasn't the Irisviel who locked away Kuro's identity in hopes of destroying it too.

Hopefully Illya was picking a good card beside them with the same hopes of making their mother extraordinarily jubilant. The small caster had two cards in her hands, both with plain greetings for Mother's and Father's Day. Both cards looked similar, except there were roses for the mother's cover and sunflowers for the father's one. Illya flipped one of them open to reveal it was completely blank on the inside. She saw Kuro looking but smiled.

"I think we should go with plain cards and share them to save money. We can decorate them when we get home to make them more personal," Illya stated as she flipped open the other card. "If we write small enough, we can surprise them with a nice note. I'm sure Mama would love it, and Papa too."

"Aww~! So considerate," Marie praised as she gently hugged Illya. The caster allowed her to do so, but kept her eyes scanning for other options.

"This era's cards are a little too plain…" Kuro mumbled as she picked up another one to stare at it. Cartoon strawberries filled the cover with ecstatic faces, coupled with a small caption. The archer narrowed her eyes and groaned lightly. "Also a little corny… You're the berry best?"

Marie giggled as she plucked the card from Kuro. "If you won't take it, I'll offer this one to Jackie and Alice."

The archer merely shrugged and began searching for a good one for their brother.


¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IV ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨


Half of their shopping was done, and the girls had obtained proper presents for their brother at least. However, they chose to mull over which jewelry to buy their mother since they were all fairly expensive; Any money they could save would be handy for them in future supply sorties. They weren't going to skimp out and buy a cheap present for their beautiful mother, of course. They just wanted to consider their options and purchase the right one after serious deliberation.

Stacks of hay and ghostly decorations filled the large, brick gathering area. Flanked by many shops and the peaked, three-story town hall, the square was packed with many pedestrians and even more unexplored stalls. There were some carnival games setup near the large fountain, but still left plenty of room for the curious stage. On top was a pleasantly plump man with a large top hat that matched his white and red striped clothes. With a large grin, he waved his hand around at the small cluster of onlookers.

"Come one, come all! Buy a ticket and try your luck! One dollar a piece, and as many as you want! Who knows? Maybe you'll win the mysterious grand prize this afternoon!"

"Sounds like a rip off…" Kuro commented as their group walked into the crowded space. Illya shrugged beside her, but Marie looked interested in the lottery. Anishka and Rama were busy scanning the stalls for possible items, which was what she should be doing. Picking up her task once more, she ignored the loud teller and began peering into the next stalls. There were a lot of nice handmade trinkets and items, but nothing too interesting at the moment.

Her focus was caught by a small black tent tucked into an alleyway of the square. She turned back to look at the rest of their group, who had clustered around a small stall with handmade plush dolls. Vampires, bats, pumpkins, and more filled the hastily erected shelves as a crowd of kids and parents partially covered her view of the master-in-training. Kuro saw Illya examining a tiny ghost doll with a smile before she turned to notice her.

"Illya, I'll be right back! I'm just going over to that tent," Kuro noted with a simple throw of a thumb over her shoulder.

Not even waiting for her response, Kuro briskly walked to the unusual tent. They saw many around the area, but this one was unmarked with any sign of decoration. It would have been suspiciously portentous were it not in the town square. A lone man with a shopping bag walked out of it as she approached, ensuring her it was an actual stall… Not like she was worried to begin with.

Even before she was a pseudo-servant, she was seriously powerful. Becoming part of Chaldea's combat force just made her abilities sky rocket, so no simple human was going to be able to harm her. If it was a magus or servant putting up a front, then they were being extra daring. Quietly, she hoped she wasn't about to find the singularity's source this early since they had more shopping to do. So, with a calm smile and a tiny hum, she opened the flap and casually walked in.

After stopping to blink in confusion, the archer looked around the dim tent that was lit only by a few bright jack-o-lanterns. Tables were filled with Halloween decorations and toys, but nothing really worth hiding in a tent. It was a rather ordinary little festival store with no one in it except the lone shopkeeper dressed in a wizard's outfit, who hid something under his desk upon entering. He only gave a small, unenthusiastic wave as he cautiously eyed her. "Where's your parents, young lady?"

Kuro hid her curiosity, since he did a fair job hiding a surprising, partly inebriated tone in the early afternoon; His bloodshot eyes helped prove it. "They're around. I'm just looking, no harm."

The man shrugged and returned to his newspaper, allowing Kuro to scan the inventory quickly. She eyed a toy sword for a few seconds before looking towards the only curiosities among carved pumpkins and assorted Halloween costumes. Some small stacks of unmarked boxes, all in various sizes, sat on a lone table closest to the owner's own. She approached it, drawing the attention of the shopkeeper before his eyes widened. She reached for the top box-

"Those are for older customers, miss," he quickly interrupted, but this only piqued her interest further. To the man's surprise and growing horror, she merely smiled and grabbed the box. Quickly, she flipped open its lid as he fumbled with words on his own lips. Kuro merely stared at the articles of clothes within and blinked.

"…Lingerie?" Kuro asked as she stared at the custom-made clothing. That explains the tent and the unmarked boxes, but it was definitely strange to only have that. She turned to the other unmarked boxes and slowly nodded her head in understanding. So this tent was covered in order to keep children from seeing a portion of the seller's wares; How he was allowed to sell these at the town square was a curiosity she wouldn't ask about. Fortunately for this man, Kuro was no child, and she had a sudden growing, impulsive thought in her mind.

"I'm unsure why a young kid knows that much… but I'm afraid to ask," the man commented with prominent suspicion as he stood up and approached her. "I'm going to have to take that ba-"

"How much, mister?" Kuro asked with a small, teasing smirk, making the man stutter in confusion. "Do you have better ones that are more risqué? This one is kinda plain to be honest."

The shopkeeper, stared in bewilderment and worry between her and the tent flap. He was clearly afraid of what might happen if someone else walked in and saw this. Kuro only sighed since she was trying to get this over quickly to prevent that exact thing; Who said she couldn't be considerate? She placed the box down and fished her purse out of her shorts. The man only gawked further when she pulled out the largest bill she had, an era-suitable American hundred.

"I'm serious. I think one of these would make a great present for my father. Not for me to wear, but my mother," she bartered with a smile. "I'm willing to pay a little extra if you want to turn a blind eye to all this… or you could just let someone walk in on me viewing lingerie. The choice is yours."

Her brother had often told her she was much more like the Illya he knew than Illyasviel herself. That was understandable, but she presumed it was her slightly manipulative and overly assertive behavior that lit the signal. She did always wish to get what she wanted, and most means were not out of the question. This was basic manipulation at its finest, but this was a rare opportunity she couldn't just let slip. It wasn't every day a child could secretly acquire lingerie without anyone knowing.

Cautiously, the man looked at the bill then back at the lingerie box. With darting eyes, he considered his options as Kuro merely took the second box to look at its contents. She smiled upon seeing it was different, and even more translucent than the first. With a sigh, the man quickly walked to the tent's opening and grabbed a break sign nearby. He placed it outside the tent and quickly returned with a small shake of his head. "Not a word about this, young lady… I could get in serious trouble for doing this."

"But you're still doing it," she noted with a sly smirk. Secretly, she was glad he was. The man appeared sleazy and immoral enough to sell something like this to a child with money, but how much of it was the alcohol loosening him up she didn't know. He was at least still obviously displeased with the whole ordeal, so she was confident he wasn't going to try anything. She could incapacitate someone if needed, but she'd rather not get reprimanded for it later.

Still, she could at least reassure the guy since she was doing him a big favor; Getting lingerie secretly as a child is borderline impossible. "I'll pay even more over your full price to make up for it, but that's it. Now do you have anything more risqué though? I'm sure my dad will love it."

The man exhaled once more and pointed to the lowest box. "That's the most audacious… Do you have your mother's sizing by chance? God knows you seem more informed than you should be as is... I've got more sizes hidden in the back if the one sitting here is too big or small."


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With a smile and a wave, Kuro bid farewell to the shopkeeper as he took the break sign back inside. The slightly drunken man now had a genuine smile on his face since she felt generous enough to give him ten dollars over the price as thanks, which was apparently a lot in the nineteen fifties. She had also acquired two large, different pumpkin plushies, which sat atop the unmarked box in the woven bag. The corners still protruded slightly from the side, but Kuro figured it was good enough until she could hide it in her Chaldean holding backpack.

Illya waved to her sister as she approached while eyeing the bag the whole time. "Did you find something for Mama or Papa?"

"I guess it's for both, but I got it with Papa in mind," Kuro noted as she raised the bag happily with a smile. "The plushies are for Jack and Alice since they love their growing army of stuffed animals. Papa's present is in the box."

Tilting her head in curiosity, she opened her mouth to ask, but Kuro pulled her close with her free hand. Her sister's shocked expression only grew as she whispered the details of the lacy underwear she picked out. Upon breaking apart, Illya's blush grew rapidly while Kuro happily giggled. "Hoy, Illya! Mama and Papa are adults too! I just want their sex life to be as happy and exciting as possible! Isn't that a great gift for Papa?"

"Kuro you can't just say that out loud!" Illya reprimanded as Ruby laughed from within the hidden pouch on her backpack.

"Oh relax, Illya. No one heard," Kuro waved off as a passing coupled blushed and pointed at them from behind Kuro's back. Illya only grew redder as she hid her face in embarrassment.

After sorting herself out, Illya motioned back towards the stage, making Kuro raise an eyebrow. "Let's go then. I was waiting for you so we can meet back up with the others. They're buying tickets for the raffle."

Kuro balked. "…Really? They want to lose money?"

Her sister quickly shrugged and sighed. "It's like a lottery. Rama says Gabrielle and Gudao play it all the time with the Fate System. He believes it will be a nice lesson for Anishka to remain realistic about expectations when attempting to summon a spirit."

"Unless she gets more black keys, tofu, and mage daggers?" she asked with a chuckle. After shrugging, Kuro looked to her bag and her backpack while searching for a secluded spot. "Before we get to them, help me find somewhere out of sight. I don't want to explain hiding a larger bag in my smaller backpack."


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Kuro stared incredulously at her hand, which currently held three blue ticket stubs. Illya and Marie giggled in front of her as they conversed, leaving the archer to her own self-pity and disappointment; How had she fallen to her sister's peer pressure? Wasn't it usually her doing the subtle manipulating? With a sigh, she finally pocketed the stubs as they walked further down main street. They'd be back later for the raffle call, which was an hour before Chaldea began a full search for the singularity's source.

"You didn't have to buy them with us, Kuro." At the soft voice, she turned to her side to look at an apologetic Anishka.

Kuro sighed. "I had a few loose singles. It's not like we will run out of money anytime soon."

"Especially not if those pirates keep acquiring it immorally…" Rama muttered with slight discontent from Anishka's other side. "I'll bet Blackbeard is doing it again as we speak..."

"Not like anyone can stop him, but at least the singularity fixes itself and we have the means to continue fighting," Kuro pointed out, though the saber was still begrudging about the whole idea.

"Just as long as you follow the other masters' example by never giving an order like that, Annie!" Rama stated adamantly with a waving finger. Thanks to the loud ambience and other conversations, there was no fear their conversation would be seen as anything more than strange, if even heard; That didn't stop Anishka from looking around nervously at passing residents. "Like I said… morality is important! Just because someone doesn't see it, doesn't mean it never happened! Stay your respectful self!"

"Of course, Shri Rama. I would never dare to offend you," the master-in-training nodded back firmly and without hesitation with a smile, making him quickly grin.

He patted her on the back. "I know I'm being pushy with my lessons, but it makes me really happy to see you hold the teachings so dear, disciple!"

She nodded and smiled back meekly as Kuro turned her attention to the stall Marie and Illya stopped at. Their group approached the rather large stall, though Kuro huffed in exasperation. There were so many decorations and holiday monsters that it felt like many vendors in this town had no variety. However, the center of the stall was where the unique selection rested. Kuro raised an eyebrow at the many teddy bears dressed in different Halloween costumes with accompanying, tiny trick-or-treat bags.

As some interested parties left, their small group got closer to the center, allowing Kuro to pick up a teddy bear. This one looked like a stereotypical Frankenstein, which was a far cry from theirs. "Maybe Jackie and Alice would have preferred one of these."

"If that's the case, I'll just add to their collections~!" Marie quietly chimed in with a wink as she reached for her purse. "There's a cute polar bear in a police uniform I think they might like for their tea parties."

Illya blinked and tilted their head. "But don't they have a lion with a police uniform already?"

"Oui oui~! They can be cop partners, then!" Marie happily cheered as she pulled out some money from her purse, ready to spoil Atalanta's girls even further than they already were. Kuro was just a touch jealous of the treatment those two got. Even compared to their own spoiled state, they were living the childhood dream.

Kuro eyed the firefighter grizzly bear before turning to Anishka. She had picked up a slightly larger beige teddy bear in a doctor's outfit. She looked to see Rama and her staring, but only smiled. She missed the two of them turning to look at an approaching servant as she giggled with fondness. "It reminds me of the one my father gave me. Almost just as soft too… I slept with it as a child since it made me feel warm and safe."

"Anishka still has it. She brought it to Chaldea with her and still sleeps with it every night."

Karna, who had been with Gudao's group, had snuck up behind Anishka while she was staring at the bear. He garnered a few curious and teasing looks for his hair, eyes, and black three-piece suit, but he clearly didn't care. He merely stood behind Anishka with a small smile as he stared at the bear. Rama, with a growing grin, looked at Karna. "So she was hiding it behind her words, Karna?"

Kuro often forgot some of the other servants' strange abilities from time to time. Karna's unique one, which she forgot the name of honestly, allowed him to see the truth from words. Apparently something even as vague as Anishka's little talk was enough to draw out far more information for Karna. She was curious if he might provide some future insight into better gifts, but that would mean any secret was forfeit before him.

"Not quite. She was only wording it carefully enough to ensure you didn't…" Karna trailed off as he looked at Anishka. Rama was chuckling while Kuro was trying to hold her own laughter back. Even the shopkeeper was smiling in adoration at the fierecely blushing Anishka, who had placed the bear down to cover her face with her hands. Karna blinked. "…Ah. It appears I must still work on my insightful politeness, which you had suggested, Rama. I wasn't aware my observation was harmful in any way."

"I wouldn't say harmful..." Rama teased as Marie came over to gently reassure the completely embarrassed magus; It probably didn't help Chaldea's Queen of Gossip now knew this too though. It was kind of cute honestly. Based on what little Kuro's seen, this future master was as easy to fluster as Illya. That was pretty amusing to say the least, and something she should definitely take advantage of in the future.


¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨


The remainder of the shopping experience was fairly uneventful considering the era's clothing style wasn't hers or Illya's cup of tea. Gudao's and Anishka's group had united back in the town square because both groups apparently acquired tickets for the raffle; The singularity made suckers of them all, it seemed. The two uniform wearing masters sat on a bench to the side as the master checked up on their future ally's first day leyshifting. Karna, an invisible Heracles and two more of Gudao's servants stood guard for them while the rest had joined the growing crowd.

Thanks to the presences emanated by some of them, many had kept more than a comfortable distance so they had breathing room. That was likely the fault of Vlad, who stood tall and regal at the center of the group in a clean, white suit. He almost appeared ghostly with his pale skin and light hair, but he wasn't letting any occasional stares get to him. He merely chatted politely with an enthusiastic Marie, who had found yet another funnel cake to share with him; It reminded Kuro to get one for Heracles before returning.

"You two find the gifts you were looking for?" an all-too familiar voice asked as the man approached.

Illya and Kuro, both still sipping on their new pumpkin smoothies, turned to stare at their older brother as he stopped behind them with a knowing smirk. They glanced to each other nervously, before looking back at him as he chuckled. "My, my… Did you really think you were going to sneak it past me? It was fairly obvious, you know, what with Mother's Day next month and Illya's eagerness when petitioning the masters."

Kuro quickly, but lightly, smacked Illya's forehead, making her wince. "I told you not to be so obvious!"

Her sister pouted back at her. "I had to turn up the charm, Kuro! Gudao was really stubborn about bringing Xuanzang and Tota!"

Though she kept up her show of irritation, Kuro was relieved their brother wasn't aware they got him gifts too; Illya was likely the same as she kept up her own front. Thankfully, he didn't seem to see further than that, much to their relief as he patted their heads. "I hope your eagerness wasn't because you two are still upset over forgetting my present."

"…Kinda…" Illya offered as she gave the tall archer a perfect set of apologetic puppy eyes.

It was super effective as Emiya smiled. "Good grief… Those eyes could win a grail war. I already said it was alright. I wasn't even expecting one."

Their brother was a mix of many things Kuro loved. There was that stubbornness and overprotective nature that sometimes overpowered his well-planned actions and cunning decision making. He had this rough and clever way to taunt his enemies through words, but it was considerably softer around those he cared about. He even had that excellent cooking skills matched with an ideal body from a magazine cover. But if there was one thing she didn't like, it was how he sometimes felt he didn't deserve anything in return.

It seemed Arturia hadn't completely beaten that out of him yet, but this time, it served to keep their cover safe. Kuro faked a sigh, "If you say so, Onii-chan."

"I meant it. I don't know what I could hope for when I've received so many blessings, like you two," Emiya declared warmly as he patted their two heads. "Never forget that."

They nodded happily with no reason or will to refute that statement. They merely took sips from their drinks while Emiya spoke up once more. "You two never did answer the question though."

Illya nodded bashfully, but answered for both of them. "We're going back to the jewelry store to buy her a necklace after the raffle! We have more than enough for a golden-"

The squelch of microphone feedback rang through their ears and interrupted Illya. "Oops! Sorry about that folks, but thank you all for coming back! The tickets have been completely sold out, and it's time to see which of the several thousand numbers won the grand prize!"

"You can tell me about it after. Maybe I'll pitch in and make it a group present since I haven't figured one out either," Emiya offered with a small shrug.

The sisters nodded in understanding before turning to the stage. The plump man stood on the stage and readjusted his bow tie and top hat as assistants placed the tub of tickets in front of him. He stepped behind him and swept a hand over a clothed, black platform on the stage that showcased many smaller prizes. "But, before that, we're going to raffle off some smaller prizes!"

"Yarrrr! Do that after the good part and pull the winning number, ya landwhale!" Blackbeard yelled from behind their group, forging hearty laughter from the crowd. Kuro turned to look at the battle-clad pirate, who had brought along a rather authentic tricorne hat just to appear like a trick-or-treater. It should have backfired considering how old he is, but the occasional picture from an old-fashioned camera proved otherwise.

Confused at the sudden heckle, the man laughed hesitantly and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Mister Pirate, but I'm afraid we actually do follow rules around here!"

After the crowd's laughter died down, the man quickly moved to calling numbers for smaller prizes, but Kuro wasn't paying any attention. It was clearly just going to be a rip off, so she didn't even bother taking her ticket stubs out. Instead, she looked around at the other servants with their own. She didn't say anything, but merely watched as item after item was called with none of the Chaldeans winning anything.

It seemed fair a world saving organization wouldn't win a whole bunch of extra prizes, especially considering some of them nabbed things far more valuable at times.

Regardless, she was particularly amused at Illya's face of serious concentration as she stared at her stubs. If Ruby saw it, the mystic code would probably be teasing her about it already. She'd only click her tongue softly in disappointment with ever failed number, but their brother remained silent. Emiya merely stared at his five tickets with a blank expression, clearly not expecting anything either. His eyes widened ever so slightly for one apparently close number, but faded with the shake of his head.

There was some celebration from the Chaldeans when Marie had actually won something. To their group's amusement, it was a small tea set of all things. Kuro wondered if it would even be used considering the salon's extensive ceramic selection. Then again, Marie definitely loved her precious tea time. As the last of the shown prizes was given away, Kuro reached into her pocket; If one of them could win, she could at least check to see about the grand prize.

"Alright, folks! Time for the real treat! A showstopper of showstoppers!" the plump man hyped as he took a few steps back towards the covered, square platform that held all the prizes. "Unlike the other prizes, the big one will be unveiled after calling the final number, which my assistant is bringing to me right now!"

The woman in a retro A line dress had quickly stepped over, making a cheesy show of presenting the ticket to the man who quickly tipped his oversized hat to her. "Ain't she a sweetie, folks? But not as sweet as bringing home the grand prize! Please come up, lucky winner number seven-seven-three-two-three-six-one!"

"What!? I won!?" Kuro cried out dubiously, earning her siblings' pleased smiles as she stared at the winning ticket. Emiya and Illya quickly began congratulating Kuro openly as a round of applause erupted through the audience.

"Well would you look at that, folks! The young lady here has managed to pull the winning ticket! I hope you have wonderful parents who can drive it…!" the man trailed off with a big grin as he grabbed the edge of the black covered platform. "…because you just won a brand-new car!"

After a quick yank of the sheet, the siblings' eyes nearly popped out of their head on what they saw. The plump man laughed as many of the male audience members stared at Kuro with envy. "That's right, folks! She won her family one of the hottest new cars this year! A real rarity we were lucky enough to be able to raffle!"

The deceiving framework made it look like a small platform on stage, but it was only a clever disguise for the stallion within. The noise of the crowd was drowned out as soon as she laid eyes upon the metal chariot. In that instant, she knew in her heart they didn't need to go to the jewelry store for some gaudy neck piece anymore. One of the greatest Mother's Day gifts for Irisviel had fallen into her lap, even after she dared state the contest was a rip-off.

Its sleek, vintage curves shined in the afternoon light as the silver sports car stood proudly in all its glory. The coupe was quite small and perfectly cleaned for the raffle, but it wasn't just winning a car that had the siblings shocked; From its chrome accents and unmistakable markings, there was no misidentifying the car that their mother often recalled such loving memories driving. She even had a tiny picture of it in one of the family's scrapbooks which she got from a magazine, but it would be her memory no longer.

Kuro just won a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing.


¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VIII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨


~~The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing~~

~~You should've heard them knocked-out jailbirds sing~~

~~Let's rock everybody, let's rock~~

Compared to all the other times driving, there was something strangely special about it this ride. Sure Lluvia's limousine was pretty fancy, if a tad too ritzy, but having their brother drive them down an American road in autumn was rather novel. With the radio blaring some classic tunes and the wind gently blowing in through the windows, it was certainly a relaxing ride with just the siblings.

"Quite the show Merlin put on," Emiya finally admitted as the three siblings erupted into chuckles. Merlin was able to quietly forge an accurate driver's license to give to Emiya on the spot; The officials weren't going to let them drive off with the car without one. Using an impromptu magic act as a front, he made it appear right before Emiya. It was not surprising he then proceeded to do other smaller magecraft tricks to buff his own ego and entertain the crowd.

Interestingly enough, the wild show was also a distraction for Hundred Face to alert Gudao, since her many personalities were now keeping tabs on the singularity's source. Gudao had quickly chosen the task force to deal with it, but the siblings were relieved of further duties; Their last task was to return to Chaldea early and deliver their present. Roman and Da Vinci were already aware of the unusual item and were allocating space while they drove to the rendezvous point.

Though the master left with a few of the servants, a few were escorting Anishka back to Gabrielle's group to help; They were going to teach her a few things and tricks before leyshifting her home. Blackbeard's 'borrowed' car drove ahead of them with the master-to-be and a few guarding servants. That left the siblings to drive the prize car back, and thankfully their older brother was proficient at it. Regrettably, their short ride back wasn't without minor difficulties… but they weren't so bad for the little archer.

"Kuro, can you move a bit? My left leg is getting numb," Illya complained as Ruby laughed happily from between the seats.

Kuro merely smiled and shifted some weight onto Illya's other leg as their brother chuckled. Since it was a two-seater coupe, Illya and Kuro had to share a seat, but the archer claimed the top since she won the ideal present. This left her sister in an uncomfortable position, but it wasn't so bad; They've done a lot worse and been a lot closer than this, but that was something the family didn't need to know about. If she felt bad about anything, it was that some of her loose hair was blowing in Illya's face.

The fresh forest smell on the lone country road entered the car through the open windows. After several mile markers, Blackbeard's car made a turn onto a smaller hard-surface road, but it had obviously seen better days. Thanks to some fall foliage littering the cracked surface, Emiya was forced to slow down so they wouldn't accidentally dent their mother's present. Thankfully, the drop off point wasn't too far into the woods. After a few minutes, Kuro felt the slight tingling of passing Tamamo's sophisticated bounded field which shattered Merlin's illusion spell as predicted.

They finally arrived back at the makeshift supply camp.

Chaldea had lucked out on finding the small riverside cottage deep in the woods. Its long driveway kept it concealed from the main road, and the owners seemed to have left early for the season. The log-façade cabin, which had a gorgeous and modernized interior, served as a good staging ground for the singularity, though it only lacked a proper leyline. A sizeable amount of surrounding stumps showcased Gabrielle's resource gathering efforts had gone smoothly.

Kuro and Illya looked out the window as Heracles finally materialized nearby. The hulking berserker looked towards their passing car and waved, which they happily returned. Undoubtedly content, he then quickly approached Spartacus nearby, who was shaving the branches off a fallen oak under Boudica's guidance. More servants came into view as Emiya parked the car on the grassy front lawn.

Kuro quickly exited the vehicle quickly, much to Illya's physical relief. As she walked over to the trunk to get their belongings from beside the spare tire, the master uniform clad Gabrielle approached with a whistle on her lips. "So this is the car you won? Wow… This looks great!"

"It should fit through the hallways just fine," Emiya stated as he closed the driver's side door. "Driving it is another thing."

"Nothing wrong with a trophy car," Gabrielle replied with a giggle. "Maybe we can get one of the casters to showcase it in the resort or something… until we find a way to let Irisviel drive it, of course!"

"I don't think it'd be wise to risk it in a singularity," the armored shielder stated as she walked up to the female master. Gabrielle simply nodded in agreement before skipping over to Anishka with glee in every bound. Mashu giggled before materializing her shield. "We'll be doing a leyshift transfer in the next few minutes. Emiya, could you bring the car a little closer to the log piles?"

"Certainly," the archer nodded before getting back in the car. He checked behind him to ensure Illya and Kuro had gotten their backpacks before starting the engine again. The adrenaline building hum of the metallic beast filled the air once more as it crept forward across the lawn. Their secret was broken far before they even leyshifted, but that was a small benefit to part with. Their mother's early gift was going to be phenomenal.

At least their brother's and father's gifts were still undisclosed.


¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IX ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨


Irisviel's enthusiastic squeal reverberated through the once quiet Deployment Room. At a speed that would have left Dantes in the dust, the caster had bolted for the car like a white comet. Obviously caring little for her elegance in her signature white and gold Einzbern dress, their mother's happiness had taken complete control, making the siblings smile. While a battle-clad Asterios carefully moved the nearby logs onto a makeshift cart, Irisviel's shining eyes, brighter than the sun itself, milked the sight of a long lost dream.

"Happy Early Mother's Day," the three siblings chimed together, making their mother squeal even louder as she turned from the car to her children.

"I have the best, sweetest children I could have ever asked for! Come here, my precious babies!" With surprising strength, she pulled the two sisters into a hug, followed by quick forehead kisses that made them erupt into giggles. Their laughter only grew when she repeated the process with Emiya, who groaned, but smiled brightly as she forced him to bend down so she could kiss his cheek. "You have no idea how happy you've made your mother!"

"I think we do," Emiya replied as their giddy mother quickly made her way to the driver's side door.

"It was a group effort!" Kuro conceded with a smile. Though she had the winning ticket, it was Illya who convinced her to spend money on one. It was their brother who was able to drive it back in one piece. Definitely a team effort to bring that gorgeous smile to their mother's face.

"Such happy moment! Very warm!" Asterios commented with a grin. After moving out of the way for the large berserker, allowing him to push the cart down the walkway, Kuro turned back to their mother. Her hands were practically shaking with enthusiasm as she sat behind the steering wheel and held it with a grin of pearly white. Her eyes were watery, but they were tears of absolute bliss that made Kuro smile brightly. They had definitely succeeded in their mission today.

She turned to look at Illya's reaction, but noticed two distant servants by the Deployment Room's massive doors. As Asterios pushed the cart by them, Arturia and Kiritsugu only stared in… horror? Their father was frozen in his black suit, and Arturia held a similar expression in her familiar white shirt, blue skirt, and tights. Quietly, the two, who initially wanted nothing to do with each other a long time ago, stared at each other with mutual trepidation in their eyes.

Kuro found herself scrunching her eyebrows in bewilderment as they turned back to the newly arrived prize. Yup, she was definitely stumped. Though there was always the curious glint of hesitation whenever their mother's love of cars was brought up, she figured it was only because their father and Arturia didn't wish to get her hopes up. They should be happy Irisviel finally got one of her small wishes granted! Was there something those two had kept secret from them?

Thinking back on her own memories, she recalled the one time their mother drove the car recklessly into the area to stop the battle between her, Illya, and Miyu. That's one of the rare times she's ever seen her mother drive though, but it was definitely a sense of urgency. Then again, she had exited the car with a serene smile and a complete lack of anxiety or stress. Kuro found herself staring at their mother again, who was happily making playful racing noises while fumbling with the wheel.

That couldn't conceivably be her actual driving discipline… right?


¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ X ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨


As part of Irisviel's newfound mood thanks to yesterday's supply sortie, there was going to be a small family party at the beach later. Select family friends were invited to come since it was going to be held at the resort's outdoor cafeteria before dinner. Thanks to the kitchen's roster of servants, the lack of Emiya's culinary touch would be well covered, letting them enjoy the peace and quiet of a sunset barbeque later. Kuro was definitely looking forward to it, but they had another gift to deliver first.

They decided to give their father the present early, and in their parents' room, since he was secretly concerned that Irisiveil had access to a car. The look on his face was priceless, as was the sultry whisper Kuro heard their mother give him afterward. Illya's was tomato red from hearing that too, since their mother wasn't as quiet as she thought while the door closed; She was incredibly descriptive and imaginative though. They'd have to get him another real Father's Day present another time.

However, they couldn't wait to see their brother's expression when they delivered his own.

Presently, he stared at Kuro firmly through the billowing storm of the Training Grounds. The battle-clad archers, matching in their similar outfits, stood ready with matching blades. Kuro's firm expression tightened with her grip on Kanshou and Bakuya. The slight movement was matched by Emiya, who remained steady as they gazed at each other over the small distance. With the wind and snow as their only audible company, their waiting game continued unhindered.

She was allowed to make the first move today as practice for catching an opponent off guard. She had tried her brother's swift flanking maneuvers many times, but she had yet to come close to successfully pulling it off during their spars. Hell, landing anything on her brother was near impossible since they shared techniques. That's why she had to get crafty, and this time, she wouldn't even have to swing her blades to do so.

Kuro only straightened her back slightly as the winds blew around them, making Emiya pitch an eyebrow in curiosity. She giggled, making her brother fall cautious as he braced himself for what was to come. His eyes barely moved as they seemed to scan her body movements for the briefest hints. She wasn't as good as detecting those as him, but she was careful not to give anything away this time. Today was going to be a surprise he would never forget.

"Keep your promise, Onii-chan~!" Kuro called playfully as she closed her eyes. "I'm allowed to make the first move!"

"Have I yet to break one for either of my sisters?" the archer replied coolly with a small smirk as Kuro nodded. "When you're ready, feel free to-"

She opened her eyes with a firm gaze and chanted without hesitation, "I am the bone of my sword."

"What!?" Emiya stuttered out loud in total shock.

Kuro quietly relished the look as blue prana swirled around her, causing the snow to form a tiny tornado. Tiny lines of static crackled around her as she smirked. "Steel is my body and fire is my blood."

"Kuro… you're able to…?" her brother asked, his eyes filling with both astonishment and growing concern.

His only reply was a deeper smirk as she began the next line in the aria. "I have created over a thousa-AHHHH!"

To Kuro's dismay, their elaborate trick collapsed as the fakes swirl of prana vanished. In its place, bright flashes erupted around the two, causing Emiya to shield himself as Kuro shrieked in surprise. The bursts of prana were warm, and not harmful in the least, which visibly confused Emiya. He stared around through the bright flashes of forming prana as Kuro tried to understand what happened. Uncaring for the two archers, the storm of manifesting forms continued amid the snowy field. This was not part of the plan; She was supposed to finish the fake activation first!

Finally, the magical bombardment had ceased. Blinking incredulously, Emiya slowly gazed around him as Kuro did the same. The smaller archer was exasperated both by what she saw and the total failure of her plan. Instead of tricking Emiya into believing she could pull off Unlimited Blade Works, the plan had went south. They stood amidst the winter kissed pleateau now filled with countless, oversized candy canes and lollipops. There were even a few sugar sticks and rock candy mixed among them creating a rainbow of giant colorful treats.

With a groan of frustration as Emiya laughed in disbelief, Kuro turned towards her hidden friends and sister by the observation hut. "Alice! That was too early, and they were supposed to be illusionary swords!"

"S-Sorry! I couldn't hear that well and my tongue slipped!" Alice loudly responded through her own mounting laughter. "Gugalanna is really playful and I'm ticklish!"

"He wouldn't sit still! Sorry, Kuro!" Illya stated as her head popped over the post's small wall. Her concealment cape was draped over her head like a hood, and she held up the small, offending beast who happily squeaked and squirmed in her grasp. Kuro could only sigh and place her face in her hands, irritated that their task to babysit Gugalanna for Ishtar had cost her a light-hearted prank.

Emiya, after dematerializing his blades, quickly approached and suppressed his own chuckles before patting Kuro on the head. "Unlimited Candy Works, huh? Nice surprise."

"It was just a lead-up to your real surprise…" Kuro admitted with a recovering smile as her magical girl sister quickly flew over with Ruby's aid. The concealment cape wearing Jack and Nursery Rhyme scampered quickly behind her transformed sister, who held a large polka dotted present box with red ribbon in her hands. Gugalanna was currently trapped within Jack's arms, but it seemed to enjoy its new place as it licked at passing snowflakes.

"Happy late Sibling Day!" Illya cheered bashfully as she held the present for their brother. His growing smile of exuberance was another one they would gladly remember.


¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ XI ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨


As amber rays blanketed the artificial beach, Kuro looked around with a serene smile. The resort was practically abandoned save for a few patrolling cleaning robots. With the beach all to themselves, the small party had gathered many lounger chairs and beach blankets for their party. A few of the moveable grills had been temporarily relocated for their ease of use, since they wished to enjoy their supper on the sunset-basked beach.

"I'm dying…" Jaguarman groaned weakly as her ears twitched. Sprawled out on her blue beach blanket, the lancer in a tiger-striped one piece presented an exaggerated act of starvation. The goddess on the blanket beside her wasn't buying it. She only rolled her eyes and sighed in her own red bikini.

"You just had a snack before we went for a swim, Fujimura-sensei…" Ishtar reminded, making Jaguarman moan louder in discontent.

Kiritsugu, sitting in a lounger chair in a black tropical shirt and board shorts, simply chuckled to himself. He reached into a bag at his side and pulled out a small bag of saved donut holes from the cafeteria. Upon lightly tossing them in front of the disheveled deity, her ears quickly perked up as her eyes sparkled in delight. She grabbed the bag of a few treats and began munching on them while awarding the assassin a happy grin, making him chuckle. She turned to gaze expectantly at the grill behind her while happily enjoying her appeasement tribute.

"It's a good thing I decided not to buy those tongs," Emiya commented to himself as he gazed at one of the many simple gifts the girls had gotten him. He spun the tongs around playfully in one hand beside his red swim shorts while waiting to flip some food. Beside the grill, a new case of culinary knives sat in their wooden base. Kuro and Illya had painted the wooden holder with a cartoony depiction of their family.

On a white blanket nearby, Kuro sat in a pink, frilly bikini that matched her adjacent sister's white one. They turned to each other and smiled as they waited happily for their brother to finish the first chicken batch. Their wait would be a little longer since their newly arrived teacher and Arturia, whose appetites could consume a grocery store, would likely fight for the first bits. Now that she thought about it, maybe it would just be their pseudo-servant teacher who mauled the first plate as her eager eyes stared longingly at the many side dishes she couldn't touch yet.

Kuro turned around as their father got up to help Emiya. On yet another royal blue blanket, Arturia looked far too preoccupied with her current task to be ogling over food. The king in a white bikini with blue ties sat on the blanket beside their mother, who looked gorgeous in her own golden monokini. They were taking turns brushing Mordred's hair, which was usually far more frazzled and wild. Curiously, the red bikini clad saber looked a lot more like Arturia now that her hair was a silky golden waterfall.

"Do I look…" Mordred started to ask, making Arturia chuckle as the usually feisty saber glanced at her significant other. Still lying down on the pair's red blanket, Jekyll pulled his glasses out of his white Hawaiian shirt with black palm trees. He put them on, pushed himself into a sitting position, and looked at Mordred while Arturia and Irisviel eyed the doctor curiously.

With hands resting on his black board shorts, he merely smiled. "Like a beautiful future king."

A blushing Mordred flashed her toothy grin and chuckled, clearly appreciating his usual distinct appraisal for her. Kuro honestly wasn't too certain when Mordred had become less defensive about her gender: When she got into a relationship, or when Arturia flatly reminded her that she, the monarch of Camelot, was a woman, but still allowed to be a king and knight. Regardless, she was far more accepting of being called a girl recently, and they definitely had Jekyll and Arturia to thank for that.

Without a doubt, the two knights, along with the doctor, were quickly becoming part of their extended family. Of course this included Arthur, who Kuro found to be quite handsome and sweet. Too bad he couldn't make it because he was also rather fun to tease. However, the meeting and followup dinner with Ozymandias and Gilgamesh had been planned a few days in advance, so it would have been rude of him to back out for a more spontaneous invitation. Maybe next time.

"Thank you for letting me do this with your father, Mordred," Irisiviel began with her bright and soaring smile of happiness. Mordred merely made a subtle nod in acknowledgement. "I get to do it with my daughters, but I'm so excited about the thought of being able to do it with a growing family."

Knowing exactly where this was going to go, Kuro turned to her brother as he took occasional, wary glances at their mother. She only smiled innocently to Arturia and Emiya with a giggle. "So, my wonderful son... When are you and Arturia going to get married and give me cute little grandchildren?"

Emiya visibly recoiled under her mother's eager gaze as Arturia flushed brightly and cleared her throat. Mordred was laughing merrily, at least until the knight's father pinched her arm to make her yelp. It was then Jekyll's turn to chuckle as Arturia turned to the expecting mother. "Irisiviel… Servant women are not able to get pregnant."

"Oh, nonsense! There's gotta be a way!" Irisviel happily while Ishtar attempted to control her growing laughter at Emiya's faltering cool and calm demeanor. Jaguarman joined her as Illya and Kuro shared a look of exasperation.

"… Let's leave our poor son and future daughter-in-law alone, Iri," Kiritsugu suggested, earning a relieved smile from Emiya and Arturia.

It was coupled by Jaguarman quickly jumping out of her seat while holding her plate. "Less talk so Shirou can cook more delicious meat! Is it ready? Is it ready!?"

"A few more minutes, Fuji-nee… Please sit down," Emiya sighed with a half-hearted glare. "In the meantime, Illya, Kuro… Would you mind serving the rice?"

At the clear discussion of food being prepared, Arturia's eyes began to sparkle, making Irisviel giggle. It grew with intensity upon noticing a slightly subdued and equal glint from Mordred's stare; They were clearly father and son… or father and daugh- Oh forget it… Kuro crawled carefully over to the rice cooker as Illya brought over a clean plate. Emiya strolled to another grill to check on the massive steak cooking on top of it. A small thermometer inside showed its current status.

Kuro looked between the meat and its recipient, who sat on the sand patiently. She chuckled, "Hopefully not too much longer for you either, Berserker!"

Heracles nodded and with the faintest hint of a smile while holding his eating utensils. The large berserker, with his free hand, reached down and, as gently as the berserker could, pet Gugalanna as it rested in his lap; The little divine monstrosity had tired itself out. Ishtar watched the delicate movement with a smile and nod to the Greek Hero, who gladly returned it. "I'm glad he likes you so much. He barely listens to this goddess with his toddler-like enthusiasm…"

With a happy smile, Kuro quietly enjoyed the ever-evolving antics of the get together. Meetings with the Emiya family and close friends could have been an entire documentary on one of those learning channels. Instead, it was just another day in Chaldea that made her often forget the dangers that were lurking in the unknown. Currently her only perceived danger was if they would finish their strange homework in time for their teacher's next class.

Their math problems were chalk full of cat examples, and nothing else. At least Helena's classes and work had variety, but she supposed this merging of deity and human didn't turn out quite as stable as Ishtar did. Thankfully Illya almost had that homework done; She could copy it off of her later, like she usually did.

"First batch is done, everyone. Feel free to dig in," her brother declared. As Kuro and Illya put down the bowls of rice down on the large food blanket, Kiritsugu served the first large dish of stacked chicken pieces for their cooking brother. Almost immediately upon retracting his hands, Jaguarman and Arturia had attempted to grab a piece, which ended up with them skewering the same slice. To growing chuckles, the two women glared at each other as Emiya sighed.

"Saber! It is a death sentence to claim a goddess' tribute!" Jaguarman practically roared.

"I had my eye on it first, Taiga!" Arturia quickly retorted as Mordred snuck under the king to sneak two smaller pieces of chicken onto hers and Jekyll's plates. Rin and Kuro followed her example as Arturia drew her weapon: A foam pool sword from a stack of nearby beach toys. "This dispute shall be settled honorably! I challenge thee to a duel!"

"You will not win against me this time, King of Knights!" Jaguarman purred with excitement as she crawled over and plucked another pool sword.

Irisviel giggled as she placed a chicken onto her own plate. "Maybe the duel can wait until later? The chicken pieces are disappearing."

The offended pair's attention quickly snapped back to the serving plate. The rest laughed as the two noticed, to their embarrassment, that there were still plenty of pieces to go around. They looked to each other tentatively before nodding. With a renewed smile, Arturia reached to put her pool sword down-

"I got you this time, Saber!" Jaguarman cried in victory as she swung the sword at the King of- Smack!

The lancer's ears drooped in dismay and defeat as Arturia swiftly reacquired her foam sword, deflected the goddess' weapon, and bopped her on the head. Mordred happily clapped for Arturia's victory as Kuro burst into laughter at her teacher's expression. With drooped ears and a defeated face, Jaguarman returned to her blanket and stared glumly at the food for being humiliated. In an instant, any sign of defeat was obliterated as Kiritsugu placed a plate of served chicken, vegetables, and rice before her.

Kuro got up from her seat, with plate in hand, and gently walked over to one of the few barbeques Emiya was managing. He saw her eyeing the sausages curiously, smiled, and walked over. "A few more minutes for those, Kuro."

The little archer grinned as she stared at the tongs he playfully spun at his side. "You love your gift?"

There was a soft fondness in his eyes as he looked away from her and over the pile of blankets and chairs. Ishtar and Jaguarman were bickering about something. Illya and Heracles were playing with a newly awakened Gugalanna as it kept Ruby secured in its bite. Kiritsugu and Jekyll were making small talk on two lounger chairs as Arturia and Mordred were practically racing through their food. Irisviel looked over to them and smiled happily before she took a bite of her own chicken.

Emiya turned back to gave a warm smirk to Kuro and winked. "Which one do you mean?"