Another dream. Another face. It flashes through Taiasu's mind repeatedly, obscured each time. Something is always in the way. Even when this proves false, it always appears just out of focus. But the feelings evoked by the imagery are clear as crystal.
Different from the last. Not the face of a woman, but that of a man.
Perfectly ordinary. Not short, but not exactly tall either. Short brown hair. He gives off an air of shyness, discomfort, awkwardness and uncertainty, but also kindness and sincerity.
Your perfectly ordinary, average, good-guy, ever-man. Yet, his expression is one of boundless, unrestrained joy. Something wonderful has completed this man in a way he never knew he wanted, let alone needed.
Something pure. Something perfect.
Something impossible.
Despite having met no one like this, let alone having even seen anyone like this, there is something familiar about the man…
Taiasu awakens from the dream to an uncomfortable situation. Though still fresh in his mind, there's something more pressing which needs attending.
He sits up and looks around.
"Ah… Tohsaka?" he whispers.
She gives no response.
"Tohsaka? I need to use the bathroom!"
She remains silent.
"Tohsakaaaa!"
"You're wasting your breath, kid. She's dead to the world until she wakes up, and that won't be for hours." Archer's voice comes out from the corner of the room.
"I'm not a kid. Wait, did you say hours? I can't wait that long!" Taiasu's uncomfortable squirming does little to help his case of not being a kid.
The voice from the corner sighs. "Fine. I'll show you. Oh, grab your boots. We may as well drop them by the door."
I guess. It looks similar enough, but still…
"Archer…?" Taiasu says, staring at the toilet.
"What, you're going to tell me you've never seen a toilet?" Archer looks down, and Taiasu shakes his head.
"Sorry. This is all still really new. This is where I um… you know, right?"
Archer sighs again. "Yes, that is where. Do you need me to take your pants off for you? Help you up, maybe?"
Taiasu's brow draws in tightly and he frowns. "NO! I just didn't want to do… 'business' in the wrong place, you jerk!" He huffs, stripping off his gloves. "Now get the hells out of here!"
In a rare moment of foresight, he looks at his hands, then the sink above his head, which he shakes a few times.
Like hells, I'm going to have him lift me up there…
He looks at a significantly larger wash basin at floor level.
That could work. I think the water comes from here…
He stares at the faucet for a few seconds, pondering.
But how does it come out…?
He lifts the shower-plug. Nothing. Then he reaches out and turns one of the two knobs, and the sound of water running echoes through the bathroom as it pours from the faucet, causing him to smile with satisfaction.
"Ah, I see…"
"What, they don't have running water in your world?" Archer asks, curious.
"What?! Hey!" He spins toward the door. "I told you… to… running water?" His furrowed brow relaxes. "That's what this is? Er, no. I mean, some places might, but if they did, it would be in Garlemald and we're not exactly on… friendly terms," he says, turning back and staring at the pouring water. "But we have things like open-air baths and wells for getting water, so this is… well, it's all really new to me."
He puts his hand in and finds the water to be frigid. Then his eyes fall to the second knob, as yet untouched.
"Hot water?"
He turns the other knob, and the water coming from the tap steams after a few moments. Archer stands behind him, invisible and bemused as he watches this journey of discovery into the conveniences of modern indoor plumbing.
Taiasu again ushers Archer out, he hopes, and concludes his 'business', a fluid transaction. He then turns his attention back to the larger basin in front of him.
Turning the knobs, and after a few seconds of fussing with them to get the temperature right, he runs some water over his ungloved hands. He then examines the array of various bottles of shampoos, conditioners, body-washes, and who knows what else which line the edge of the large tub. He stares for a few moments, scratching his head. Then he shrugs and grabs one of the more flowery-looking bottles. He removes the cap and empties a bit onto his hands, then replaces the cap and returns it to where it had been.
"So you know what soap is?"
"GAH!"
Archer's voice comes from behind him, causing him to jump. He closes his hand to prevent losing the liquid as he spins around.
"I told you to get the hells out!" he yells at the door, still closed, and can hear Archer snickering in response.
"I had my back turned the entire time. There was probably nothing to see, anyway," he says. Taiasu can hear the smirk in his voice. "I couldn't risk you trying to do… god only knows what. I feel if I left you alone for a second, you might figure out a way to burn the house down with just water somehow."
Taiasu frowns as he turns and brings his hands toward the still-running water.
"Nothing to see. I'll have you know…?" He stops his retort as the smell of the chemical in his hands reaches his nose. Somehow familiar, it catches his interest and acts as a convenient distraction. After working his hands into a thorough lather, the scent becomes stronger.
That smells good. What is that? Rolanberry?
He brings some suds to his mouth and then spits them out.
Bleh! Not rolanberry!
Taiasu spits a few more times.
"You eat soap in your world?" Archer says, laughing.
"Gh, no! It's just… we only have one sort of soap, and it doesn't smell… well, edible. It just smells like… soap," he says. He takes a few seconds to enjoy the pleasant-smelling fragrance.
Archer's sigh reverberates through the bathroom. "Right. The wonders of modern living."
Taiasu rinses his mouth, relieving it of the remaining taste, and after shutting off the faucet, he steps out of the bathroom. Behind him, he can hear running water, and he turns to look.
"We usually flush the toilet when we're finished with it," Archer says.
"Wow…" Taiasu stares at the toilet for a second. "Sorry. I thought it was… well, a lot of the places we do… you know, 'that', it just gets carried right out. I thought this was one of them, or that Tohsaka had a maid or a servant to empty it in the morning."
Archer sighs again. "Well, for future reference, just press this," he says. The handle moves up and down as he pokes it with his invisible hand.
"Thanks…" Taiasu says. Then his head tilts. "Wait. You can mess with stuff while you're invisible?"
"Of course. Ah, sorry, I forgot you wouldn't know that." In a rare moment of contrite politeness, Archer shows a shred of humility and sincerity.
What energy Taiasu has gained from a flurry of new experiences is fleeting, and he can feel himself losing the battle against the encroaching slumber. He yawns heavily as he makes his way toward the room of his benefactor, opening the door and stumbling inside.
He yawns again and rubs his eyes as his feet leave the floor.
"Come on. Up we go." Archer says, kindly.
Up…?
As the soft surface seizes him in its loving embrace, his eyes slip closed and slumber soon follows. All the red flags, alarm bells and whistles in his head were no match for the unstoppable onslaught of the beast called sleep.
Hmm… something smells… good…
Taiasu's nose twitches a bit and his eyes drift open.
Not food… What is… Yellow?
His eyes open to a field of yellow obscuring his vision, along with a hint of a distinct pattern and with a trace of soft skin-colored… skin.
What…?
Taiasu shuts his eyes and then opens them to find the same scene laid out before him.
No… I was… wait…
The pieces fall into place, and he can practically feel Archer's evil grin from his station in the corner. His mind recalls what it was he'd last heard before falling asleep again after discovering the modern marvel that is indoor plumbing.
Up… He wouldn't have…
Archer would have.
He couldn't have…
The tall man could have.
He didn't…
The shyster most certainly did.
Okay… okay… calm down, stupid… just breathe…
He inhales deeply again, but the scent carries to his brain, and truncates that.
Okay, don't breathe… I mean, just breathe through your mouth, dummy…!
He lets out a slow breath as he comes to terms with his current predicament.
Nothing too bad… yet… I just need to…
He attempts to slide down toward the foot of the bed, but something arrests this subtle motion, which then arrests him further by pulling him into the sea of yellow.
Uh… wait…
He can feel two soft 'some things' pressing into his head.
That's kind of… nice—NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, STUPID!
Despite his attempts to subdue his baser instincts, he can still feel his head heating like a furnace, and the redness growing in his face tints his periphery.
He attempts to wriggle down again, but any such attempts only result in a tighter squeeze.
"Hmmm… Neko… chan…" Tohsaka mutters something in her sleep, pressing her head into his as her eyes drift open.
A thousand thoughts a second fly through Taiasu's brain. It's the same thoughts, strung together and stuck in a loop.
This is bad. I'm bad. Actually, this is a little nice… NO, STUPID! I'm dead. She's gonna kill me. Archer's gonna laugh while she does it. I hope the coffins are comfy.
Tohsaka's eyes slip closed, and he exhales a relieved breath.
"Hmm…" Tohsaka sighs.
Just when Taiasu feels like she might not murder him horribly, her eyes snap open like over-tight rubber bands and she flies from her side of the bed, her left arm ablaze with light and an incantation just a breath away from her lips.
Now free, Taiasu lunges from the other side of the bed, pressing his back into the wall.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" His diminutive mouth repeats this as a mantra that might save his life.
"What… did… you… do…" she says through clenched teeth.
"I'm sorry… I didn't… It wasn't… I'm sorry…" he repeats his plaintive apology.
"If you didn't do anything, then why… are… you…?"
Archer's low, snickering builds into a raucous laughter.
After considering some contextual clues and getting a reasonable idea of why the first thing she saw was Taiasu's fire-engine red face when her eyes opened, Tohsaka's wrath relents to a degree.
At least, toward the small man, who remains pinned to the wall, still quite upset, less fearful for his own safety, on having seen Tohsaka relax some. His concern is more about what had happened before. No, not about the prank, but his general reaction to it. His heart hammers against his chest as he comes to grips with this new experience.
"Taruko-kun…?" Tohsaka, having calmed down and lowered her arm, which was no longer glowing, regards him with some curiosity and a small amount of concern.
"I'm… sorry…" he repeats himself.
"Why…? It was just a stupid joke by—"
"No. Not… that…" he says, looking down. "I thought… things… Felt… things… It was… nice… I shouldn't have…"
His thoughts and feelings are a storm of confusion, elation, frustration, annoyance, fear, doubt, dread, and several others for which he'd have to create extra words.
"What do you mean?" Tohsaka asks, genuinely curious.
"Because… when I smelled something… nice and… liked it… then… I saw it was you…" he says, staring at the ground, hard. "Then I felt something… when you… when you… And it was soft and I thought it was… nice and… I shouldn't have thought that…"
A big grin splits Tohsaka's face.
Jeez, is this guy real…?
"Are you actually a child…?" she asks, biting back a giggle.
"No… I'm an… I'm an adult… I'm an adult…" he says, not helping his case by his reaction. "But that… but that… that… that's not something… you're supposed to do with… with… strangers… You're supposed to… do that… with someone… you… someone you… l… l… l-l-love…"
His voice comes out in a choked whimper, and Tohsaka, unable to hold back, bursts out laughing.
"T… Taiasu… oh my… oh my GOD…!" she says, between gasps and laughter. "I don't think… I don't think…"
She collapses on the floor, laughing.
This guy can't be for real…!
She rolls on her back and takes in a deep breath before breaking out into another unrestrained fit of laughter.
Having calmed down and recovered her breath, Tohsaka sits on her bed, while Taiasu remains seated on the floor.
"Have you ever even been with a woman?" she asks, wiping the laugh-tracks from her eyes.
Her smile fades at the vigor with which he shakes his head.
"Wait… really?"
He nods his head with equal vigor. "That's… you have to love someone for that…" he says "I've never loved anyone… I mean, I liked a few women but… things were always getting in the way… It could never go anywhere." He stares at the floor. "So I'm still waiting for that…"
She grins again. "Wait, are you actually a prude?"
He shakes his head again, almost violently. "No! I'm interested in… you know… But not with just anyone! It has to be with someone I l… love… And they have to feel the same way!" His face almost bleeds red. "So all of this was just… you know, a lot."
Tohsaka's grin morphs into a warm smile. "I think I understand. That's why you didn't want to sleep here last night, right?"
He nods. "Yeah… It just didn't feel right." He heaves a deep sigh. "Don't get me wrong, you're… I mean, I couldn't have… Damn it, what the hells am I even saying!" The small man shakes his furiously blushing head, and Tohsaka laughs again.
"It's okay, I get it. Nothing bad happened, so just forget it, alright?" she says, smiling. "So… you really thought I smelled nice?"
"Gh…" Taiasu frowns, but nods, turning red all over again.
"Hm… maybe the new body wash…?" she says, glancing at the floor.
"Huh? That stuff that smelled like rolanberry but tasted like… not rolanberry?" Taiasu tilts his head. "No, you didn't… smell like… that… It was just… nice…"
His voice drops away as he comments his genuine thoughts.
"Oh… Wait." Her head leans to one side. "What's a rolanberry?"
"Ah, it's a kind of fruit. They're small, red, and sweet, but also tart," he says, remembering the flavor of something he hasn't had in some time, and likely wouldn't have again for a while longer.
"Huh…? Sounds like strawberries… I wonder if they just call things by different names in your world… Hold on." She looks up again, her eyebrows drawing inward. "How do you know what my body-wash smells like?"
They can again hear Archer laughing from the corner as Taiasu explains his early morning adventure in discovering indoor plumbing and that things which smell nice do not always taste nice.
Taiasu waits outside the bedroom door as Tohsaka changes from her sleepwear into her school clothes. He looks to the door, then to the floor, scuffing his feet.
Shouldn't be wandering around. She gets scary when she's mad…
She opens the door, and looks down at him, and his still somewhat downcast expression, and another fit of laughter escapes her.
He frowns. "Please stop laughing at me…"
This only causes her laughter to escalate.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…!" she says between gasps. "But I never… I never imagined someone would react… like that! To something so trivial!" She shakes with laughter for a few more seconds before recovering. "Come on. I'll make you breakfast as an apology."
"Hey… I just realized something…" he says, following behind her.
"Hm? What's that?" she says as she walks toward the living area.
"You were calling me by my first name in there."
She stops mid-step and her brow furrows.
"We're not lovers," she says, and he laughs.
It was the first time he'd laughed since arriving here. He'd smirked, smiled, and grinned like an idiot and a fool quite a few times, but this was his first laugh.
"Duh. I know that. Was just wondering why, is all. I mean, I'm okay with it, but I was curious…"
She shrugs. "I don't know… it just came out."
"Ah… well, I don't mind it. If you want to call me that, or the other thing. Either is fine."
Tohsaka comes into the dining area with a couple plates of steaming eggs, sunny-side up, toast, a couple slices of bacon, and a glass of orange juice, all balanced on the single tray she's holding.
"That looks awesome," he says, grinning. Then he sees the plate she places in front of him and frowns. Though artistically done, it is plain to see that with the eggs, bacon, and a bit of ketchup for flare, she has created a smiley face.
"Something wrong with your breakfast?" she asks, grinning as well.
He looks up from his plate to hers, and his frown deepens, seeing her expression and her plate that had not been so whimsically adorned. After a bit of a struggle, he straightens his frown.
"Not a thing."
He cuts up the eggs, sliding them on the toast, which he brings to his mouth. The eggs set well with the buttered toast, and the smell from the bacon only serves to enhance the entire experience. It's only lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, which is exactly enough to make it a perfect breakfast, and his mouth forms into a satisfied smile.
How long was it since I last ate breakfast…? I don't remember the last time it was this good.
"Ah… thanks for breakfast," he says, after having swallowed the toast and egg. "It's delicious."
"You're welcome." Tohsaka says, then taking another bite of her food.
Breakfast concludes, and Tohsaka returns from the kitchen after carrying the used plates, glasses and silverware to the kitchen.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" she says.
Taiasu smirks. "You just did," he says as he prepares what will be his fourth infusion using six crystal clusters.
She frowns. "Fine… Can I ask you 'two things'. Do you usually respond to… things like that, in that way?"
"Things like what?" he asks as he splits the clusters into equal groups.
"You know… Unexpected things? Things that others think are trivial?"
Taiasu shrugs. "Don't know. Sometimes I've had reactions to things people think are normal, but other times people have reacted weirdly to things I think are normal. I never really thought about it…" His voice trails as he considers her question.
"I was just wondering… if there was something off in your head, is all," she says.
He frowns softly. "Hey, that's kind of rude… but… well, I mean, who doesn't have a screw or two loose?" he says, his frown turning up in a smirk, and she laughs softly.
He places a hand on each cluster group, and Tohsaka watches as the light in each dims and then vanishes.
Archer sighs. "So you're going to school?"
"I am. Is there a problem, Archer?" Tohsaka says.
"No… it's just that…"
His gaze falls to Taiasu, who has just finished collecting and stowing the six spent clusters from the table.
"What about him?"
The small man grins. "I can come too. I've been there for two days already. It's boring, but… well, it's still better than staying here and trying to entertain myself. I wouldn't want to get into trouble or end up burn—"
"Stop talking," Tohsaka says, cutting him off. "It's fine. You can come… Wait, what if someone detects you like we did?"
"Well… Nobody has yet—" He frowns. "No, that's wrong. Emiya can see me too… I can avoid that by staying out of his field of view, though."
Tohsaka nods. "Okay, then it's fine, but you'll need to—"
Before she's finished speaking, he's produced the obsidian colored stone. His form emits a bright glow and when it fades, gone are his flashy red armor, gloves, pants, boots, cape and mantle. In their place are the two kodachi and his black ninja 'cosplay'. He pats the stone with affection before returning it to his pack.
"So, what's the other problem?" Tohsaka says, looking back at Archer.
"I'm just concerned. You're vulnerable in school to attacks by other Masters."
"That's untrue. We battle in private, so the chances of that happening in school are acceptably low. I may be a Master, but I won't be changing my routines or my lifestyle, Archer."
"Yeah, and besides, if I'm close by her, I can protect her. I mean, I kind of owe her for the business with…" Taiasu's face goes hard-red for a moment before he shakes his head. "And also for breakfast…"
Archer scoffs. "I doubt you'd be that helpful, seeing how you fought yesterday."
His small eyes narrow and he frowns sharply. "Hey, I wasn't trying to hurt, or kill you yesterday. That was just me protecting myself. Try me on the ground if you want to see what I can really do."
Tohsaka smirks hard, and her eye gives a subtle twitch. "No fighting in the house, boys."
Taiasu clams up and nods while Archer says nothing in reply, folding his arms and staring at the floor.
"That aside, if this is your decision, all I can do is obey. But I can at least stay by your side in spirit form, yes? Unless you intend to make me stay here while you go to school?"
Tohsaka's eyes go half-wide and her mouth slacks for a moment. "Don't be ridiculous. Not just at school, but anytime I'm outside, you need to stay at my side. That's your job, right?"
"I'm relieved to hear that. The charge of knights is to answer the trust others place on us. I shall do my best to meet your expectations. However, what would you do if you found an enemy in that supposedly 'safe place', Rin?"
"Why do you ask that?" she asks, holding her chin. "Do you think there's a Master at the school?"
"Likely so," he says, arms folded and nodding. "Though it's difficult for any non-student, or non-teacher, to get into the school, it's a problem if someone who belongs there naturally is a master, right?"
Tohsaka's head leans to one side as she wears a dismissive smile.
"I think you're worrying over nothing. There's only one other magus family besides mine, and they declined to take part in this go-around."
Archer closes his eyes and sighs. "How can you know there isn't a Master in that family?"
"Investigation, my dear Archer," she says, smirking. "It's only natural that I would have checked up on them. The person there's not a Master, and his successor isn't capable, so we can disregard them."
"So you're saying there is a magus, but they don't have the magical energy, yes?"
Tohsaka nods.
"That's a dangerous assumption, isn't it?" Taiasu says, having been quiet and content to listen until now.
Tohsaka looks at him. "Huh? Why so?"
He folds his arms across his chest, staring at the floor. "Just because they don't have the power, I mean… I don't know much about magic in this world, or even in mine, but if there's knowledge tied to it, and this guy's from a family of magi, wouldn't that mean they'd have like… books or stuff?"
Tohsaka's eyes narrow slightly as she stares downward, holding her chin. "Well… I mean, that's… possible? But… that seems unlikely… I mean…"
"Sure, I mean, knowledge is the key that unlocks many doors," Taiasu says. "As long as the knowledge is there, there's a way to apply it, right?"
She frowns, biting her lip. "You know… I can't get a solid read on you, short stack. You ramble a lot, and not much of what you say makes sense, but then you say something like this…"
"I just said what I thought," he says, shrugging. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"It's fine…" Tohsaka sighs as she rubs her forehead. "We'll worry about that if we have to… Anyway, that aside, the other masters will probably be coming from outside the school."
"Besides that, what if there is a magus at the school and you're just not aware, Rin?" Archer asks.
Tohsaka only shakes her head. "There aren't any. Magi are sensitive to each other, so if there were another there, I'd know it, regardless of how well they hid. I can say with confidence that there are only two; myself, and an apprentice who lacks the power to be any real threat."
"Fine. It was just a hypothetical. Only trying to look at it from other angles. 'Expect the unexpected', as they say, so don't say I didn't warn you."
"It won't happen. That's just what a hypothetical is. If it does happen, then it means I screwed up and my digging wasn't deep enough."
"Then we should leave now if we want to make it on time, yes?"
Taiasu nods silently while concealing his presence. "You can still sense me, right?" he asks.
"I can't see you, no. But I can sense you well enough," Tohsaka says. "I mean, since yesterday, it's just obvious now."
Taiasu heaves a sigh. "I'm going to have to take remedial lessons when I get back…"
As they head for school, the conversation is light, if present at all.
As he attempts to remain near Tohsaka, a pothole forces Taiasu to take an odd step to avoid it. The pouch at his waist shifts, jostling the stones within just enough for the sound to reach his ears and remind him of the third thing.
"Ah…! Tohsaka!"
He speaks louder than he had intended. With no one around, his voice reaches only her and the formless Archer.
"Shhhh!" Tohsaka hisses. "Are you trying to get caught by everyone?"
"Eh? No…" he says, lowering his voice. "I just remembered."
"What did you remember?"
"The third thing. The thing I was going to tell you about last night," he says as he fusses with the pouch at his side.
"Okay, well, what is it? We don't have a lot of time before we get to school, so be quick about it if it's so important."
"Okay, the old guy. The third thing I forgot was actually the first thing he said when he… gave… me… these," Taiasu says, getting the pouch opened. He peers in, examining the contents and sifting through as he locates the three distinct stones.
Right, there's the ruby, the lapis, the steel… Wait, lapis? Hold on, here's the amethyst too… What is this?
A stone has changed hue to that of lapis. As he examines the color, his face gets warm again.
This one looks like… Caster's eyes. I'd forgotten about yesterday's resonance…
"So what did he give you?"
Seeing no one else around, Taiasu drops his concealment, and makes to show the colored rocks to Tohsaka.
"These…"
"H-hey, stupid!" Tohsaka smacks him across the head. "Are you ACTUALLY trying to attract attention!"
"No one is around, and I need to—ah!"
Taiasu yelps as she drags him across the road and behind a tree.
"Okay, talk quick. I won't let myself be late," she says, frowning.
"Fine, sorry. The first thing the guy said was probably the strangest. He said I'd be 'meeting some very special people,' and that these would serve a very special purpose for them," he says, holding up the four stones that had become distinct. "The rest look… well, not like this. I have a good idea when they changed, but it would take too long to explain."
He frowns briefly, staring at the ground.
We don't have time to get into the Echo right now…
He gazes between each stone and Tohsaka's eyes to the point she shifts uncomfortably.
"Eh… sorry," he mutters, looking away. "No, they're not like your eyes… Anyway, I don't know what it means, but—"
"Archer. Come out and stand here for a second," she says.
Archer materializes, his eyebrow raised.
"Yes, Rin?"
She seizes the steel colored stone from Taiasu.
"Hold still," she says, holding it close to Archer's face, next to his left eye. "Yeah… that's what I thought when I first saw it. Ah, Archer, you can go back to spirit form now. I just had to be sure."
Archer sighs, shrugging as his form fades and then vanishes.
"Be sure of what?" Taiasu asks, holding his hand out for the stone. Tohsaka continues staring at it.
"When I saw it, I thought of Archer's eyes. But never mind that. When did you say this happened? That these stones became colored?"
He sighs and withdraws his hand for the moment.
"The red one I think changed after I met this girl my first day here. It looks like her eyes," he says, shuddering. "When I met her, she tried to kill me."
"Tried to… kill you?" Tohsaka looks from the stone back at him, and he nods.
"Yeah… I was hoping we could become friends, because she seemed interesting like you, and then she called out this hulking behemoth she called—"
"Berserker…" Tohsaka finishes his sentence with a whisper.
"Yeah, she called it that. How d'you know?"
"It's the only Servant you could use the words 'hulking behemoth' to describe…" she says, trembling and going pale. "Wait. You said she tried to kill you?"
"Yeah… I mean, he swung his big, weird, rock-stone-axe-sword thing at me a lot, but it was like he was moving slow or something, at least to how he was in the woods," he says, shrugging. "Then she stopped him, and we talked a bit. I think I made her mad because I like to talk a lot, but thanks to that I discovered that I'm not on Hydaelyn anymore. Then when I was walking away, she told me her name. I thought she'd sneeze-mph, mmm, mmmph, mmm?"
Tohsaka closes her hand over his mouth. "I don't need a blow-by-blow of that night, alright? Just tell me what she said her name was."
"Mllymphsl Mphn Mnsmn."
She frowns, removes her hand and wipes it on the grass nearby.
"Again, please?" she says, her eye twitching.
"Illyasviel von Einzbern," he says, frowning. "You could have just asked me that from the beginning."
Tohsaka stopped listening after he'd said the name. Her color pales further.
"The… Einzbern family… summoned Berserker…?" she says. "That's… catastrophic."
"Huh? I don't understand. After she called him back, I thought we got along well. I don't know if we're friends, but she stopped trying to kill me at least, and she let me go. She didn't send—"
"Please. Stop. Talking," Tohsaka says, rubbing her forehead.
"Ah… Sorry. Oh. I forgot one other thing. I don't know—"
"WHAT!? What other thing did you forget!?"
"Ah… the old guy… he said he wasn't from my world, and he said those aren't either…" Taiasu says, shrinking back. "He called them 'Soulanchor Stones'…"
"Soulanchor Stones…" Tohsaka stares at the stone in her hand. "Why did you think to bring this up now?"
"Well, because I was walking and almost tripped, and then the—"
"THE SHORT VERSION, TAIASU!"
"Oh… well, he said 'special people', and I thought maybe you might be one of those special people… Especially since I think that stone didn't change until I met you."
"No…" Tohsaka says, staring at the stone again. "I think it didn't change until you met Archer."
"No, that's not true. It changed after I…"
He sighs, staring at the ground.
Gods damn everything…
"It changed after I saw into your soul."
Tohsaka's mouth goes slack as her arms fall at her sides.
"Saw… into my soul. If you're practicing a pickup line…"
Taiasu shakes his head. "I don't know what that is. But this is a thing that happens sometimes. We don't have time, right? I'll explain it later, but I saw you with this older guy. You were young and had red hair ties. He was saying something about an association and about you putting them in your debt. The entire time he was rubbing your—"
"Stop…" she says, her voice wavering.
Taiasu glances up at her and sees her slackness recede as her eyes mist over. "I'm sorry. Are you alright? Did I say something bad?"
"No… I believe you. Just please don't talk about that right now." She wipes her eyes and firms her countenance. "We'll talk more about this later. It's just not a good time for it right now." Tohsaka sighs and slips the stone into one of her coat pockets.
Taiasu opens his mouth, but thinks better of it, then nods and returns the other three to the pouch at his waist, cinching it closed afterward.