'I received these in my locker this morning.' Lily placed a couple of envelopes down upon the four desks that had been brought together by Ayako, Kaede, and Rin for lunch break the following day. Rin was already feeling nauseous, due to her inevitably poor sleep the night before thanks to swirling thoughts of Lily, but the sight of suitors vying for Lily's affection already was enough to make her visibly want to vomit.

'Whoa.' Kaede leaned in, poking at the envelopes as if they were tainted. 'The boys are moving fast on this one. Thoughts, Ayako-san?' She held an invisible microphone to the other girl as though she were suddenly a news reporter.

'The early bird gets the worm…maybe?' Ayako grinned, her arms crossed in seeming contemplation.

'I'm the worm in this case?' Lily sighed.

'A unique worm at that.' Affirmed Ayako. 'Having a foreigner as a girlfriend is a major status symbol, you know. You're obviously beautiful, too, so that helps.'

'Mm.' Lily didn't look pleased, her brow furrowing slightly as she stared at the envelopes. Not having her usual patience for such trivialities, Rin swiped one of the letters and read through it, her teeth grinding down the more she read.

'Dear, Lily. Please meet me after school. I would like to ask you something.' Rin scoffed. 'He didn't even leave a location. Unbelievable.' She went for the other one. 'Lily. Could I have a moment of your time? I'll be waiting on the east side of our school once classes are done for the day. Sincerely, Haru Yoshida.'

'Ah! I know him! He's actually pretty smart. I think he's in the shogi club? At least, he was last year.' Kaede rambled off details about the boy.

'Oh. That's…good?' Lily giggled nervously, beginning to unpack her lunch which she had evidently bought from a convenience store on the way to school. The sight of the humble meal made Rin think about the girl's empty apartment, thankful she had begun working on a solution to that little problem the night before. In addition, Rin thought about her school bag and a rather special item she had decided to bring. Once classes were over, the Tohsaka girl had plans for her and Lily, plans she had no choice but to solidify in her own mind the night before since there was time and a severe lack of sleep.

'It could be if you plan on dating him.' Ayako shrugged. 'What're your thoughts?'

Rin was thankful her friend had asked, because the concept of placing Lily and a boy together in the same sentence grated on her nerves in a brutal way preventing her from forming words properly.

'I'll have to decline both, I think.' Lily bit into a rice ball, humming happily after doing so. 'I'm not looking to start dating anyone just yet.'

Although Rin felt relief from the answer, the use of the word "yet" didn't sit well with her either. At least she had concocted a way forward, as far as Lily went. She had reacted to using Rin's name, hadn't she? Then the decided upon plan of slowly introducing her to places, words, and situations that might stir more memories wasn't entirely crazy. So long as Rin was careful, she could keep herself safe from freaking Lily out too much should more scenarios spark abnormal behaviour from her. She would hate for Lily to truly, really settle into a life in Fuyuki City only to regain Arturia's memories and have to navigate that sort of minefield. That wouldn't be fair at all. Not to anyone involved.

'That's reasonable.' Rin ate her own meal, which Sakura had kindly provided her that morning. Perhaps she should consult her sister about Lily after all? Surely, she had at least heard about her by now. There was no point in trying to hide her existence. That could make the situation more awkward for the considerate younger Tohsaka sister.

'You didn't mention anyone yet, but do you have a boyfriend, Rin-san?' Lily suddenly asked, and Rin almost choked, taken aback by the direct inquisition.

'Whoa! You're already using Rin-san's first name? What happened yesterday when I wasn't looking?' Ayako's sly gaze searched Rin, but she pretended not to notice.

'Rin has had too many confessions to count at this point, so it's not as if there isn't an attempt.' Kaede laughed.

'That's understandable…' Lily's cheeks flushed, but the sight of them was quickly obscured when she began eating again, both hands holding a second rice ball to her lips.

'Okamoto-kun is the most recent victim, and he's taking that loss pretty hard, rumour has it. Better watch your back, Rin-san.' Ayako sounded more serious than usual, and Rin could only sigh at the thought of the boy trying anything antagonistic with her. Hadn't the male population seen the way Rin had handled Shinji Matou? If he couldn't rattle her, who could?

'As I said yesterday, I rarely fraternize with anyone I don't find interesting enough. Unfortunately, that is true with the male population of the school as well. So, no, as Kaede so kindly answered for me, I do not have a boyfriend as of this moment.'

'So, you choose not to.' Lily found Rin's eyes, and Rin struggled not to relax her guard too much considering the class wasn't exactly a private place during lunch. Any eavesdropper could listen in on the quartet's conversation, and Rin had an image to keep for the time being.

'I do. I don't need someone else to validate my value. I know what I am and what I'm capable of. It's as simple as that. The right person may come along, and they may not. I do not mind either way.'

Ayako raised a brow and whistled.

'There you have it. An anthem to single girls everywhere, I guess?'

'The right person…' Lily played with the idea for a moment, and Rin urged her mentally to meet her eyes again. When she did, thankfully, Rin tried to communicate what she couldn't. What she felt she shouldn't yet. Lily blinked in apparent response, and then flinched back, diverting her gaze as if shocked again. Pink found her supple cheeks anew, and she began her third rice ball.

'You really don't have to walk me home again, Rin-san.' Lily said as much, but Rin could tell she was relieved they were together again which, in turn, brought the Tohsaka girl joy. They had left the academy swiftly enough once Lily had dealt with Haru Yoshida, the lag between classes ending and leaving the school grounds enough to disperse the number of students walking the same way as the girls, thankfully.

'Actually, I have a specific reason to be with you this time, Lily-san.' Rin began lightly, thinking about the added weight in her school bag on top of the other arrangements she had made.

'Oh?'

'But before that, I must ask how your conversation went with Yoshida-kun went. Did he take it well?'

'Mm. I think so.'

'What did you say?'

'I told him I needed more time to settle into Japan before thinking about dating. I apologized for leading him on, potentially, and wished him the best of luck in his future.'

'And what did he say?'

'He thanked me for my time, and wished me luck as well.' Lily paused, breathing out thoughtfully. 'I didn't enjoy hurting his feelings. Sort of silly, isn't it? I don't even know him.'

Rin's heart fluttered, her hand twitching with the desire to hold Lily's and discover if it was the same hand that had given Rin's body and soul so much pleasure.

'I don't think it's silly whatsoever.' Rin replied flatly. 'Empathy – true empathy – is an admirable trait. I can't stand it when people pretend to care but don't. It's one of the worst kinds of deception.'

'I agree.' Lily nodded.

The girls arrived at the four-way intersection from the day before, traffic buzzing about within the outskirts of the Shopping District aggressively. With all the engines, and horns, and noise of the world, Rin grew irritated, wanting to consume every moment of Lily's attention and voice.

'Did you…have a boyfriend in London at any point?' Rin asked, knowing she might regret it.

'…Just one.' Lily answered easily enough, but there was distance in her voice. 'A classmate from Grade 9. We were together for about half a year.'

'I'm shocked there was only one.' Rin swallowed, wondering if she was being a bit too forward and if there was even a point to anything she said on the matter.

'Are you?' Lily giggled, and something came over Rin, a clawing force that had been kept at bay since Arturia was lost to her.

'I agree with Ayako-san; you're beautiful, Lily-san.' She said the words, images of Arturia throughout the war slamming into her chest and causing her voice to waver. 'That's an objective fact.'

'O-oh…Thank-you.' Lily brought a clenched hand to her chest as the girls crossed the intersection and began down the Shopping District's main strip. She blushed adorably, and then here was a silence that hung over the girls. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, if a bit curious to Rin.

'Who broke off your relationship?' Rin decided to return to the subject prior after enough time had passed.

'I did.'

It felt like a victory, which Rin knew was pathetic.

'Do you mind if I ask why?'

Another beat, but Rin allowed Lily to think through an answer, refusing to rush or push her in any direction. Eventually, her patience was rewarded.

'It didn't feel right.' Lily started, quieter than usual. 'I knew it wouldn't, but I tried anyway. My mother and father were a bit worried I hadn't shown any interest in romance. They just didn't want me to be alone. They only really talked to me about it all once, but I could tell it bothered them, and they might become even more concerned down the road. So, I went out with a boy I've known since elementary school. I wanted it to work, because even I knew it was strange, I simply hadn't thought much about love. But it didn't, and I ended up hurting him. We still talk, but it's nothing like before.'

'I'm sorry.' Rin hated the thought of Lily confronting such complicated emotions without her.

'It's fine. Really. It feels like forever ago.'

'If you don't mind me asking, how did it "not work"?' Rin and Lily were nearing her apartment by now, circumnavigating into a quieter part of the Shopping District where the small complex was nestled.

'It's quite embarrassing, if I'm going to be honest.'

'Then you don't have to tell me.'

'I want to, Rin-san. I haven't…talked to anyone about it. Not truthfully. But with you, I feel like I don't have to hold back. It's so strange.'

'I have to second that feeling.' Rin wanted to validate what Lily was saying, for it was more important to her than the other girl could possibly know at this point. 'Being with you is refreshingly simple. I don't have to put on any kind of act.'

'Are you saying the Rin-san I'm starting to know and the one at school are two different people?'

'In a manner of speaking, yes. Although still more similar than not.'

'Hm. I'd like to know the real Rin-san.'

Rin smiled.

'I have a feeling you'll get the chance sooner rather than later.'

Lily giggled, her voice always tugging at the history Rin had with this girl – at least, someone who looked exactly like her.

'Anyway, to answer your question, I knew for certain I couldn't be with him after our first kiss.'

Rin's eye twitched as she imagined Lily having such an interaction with someone other than her.

'I see…'

'Yes.' Lily sighed. 'But I insisted it was just a mistake, so our relationship lasted months after. I couldn't tell him. I couldn't tell anyone. But it had felt…so wrong. I was riddled with guilt anytime he held my hand, or we hugged, or we kissed again. I should've been over the moon with my first boyfriend, but instead, everything about it felt like a burden and…wrong.'

'Do you know why it felt wrong now that you've put some distance between the event and yourself?' Rin was terribly curious. Again, she wouldn't let herself draw certain conclusions indefinitely, but it was hard not to inadvertently consider such things.

'I don't. Not confidently, anyway. Now that I'm here, however, I do feel better.' Lily hesitated, her apartment complex only a hundred feet away now. 'But being with you, for example, Rin-san, feels right. It feels…so right.'

Rin didn't respond immediately, gathering her emotions into an understandable package and dispersing the feelings appropriately so that she could address the words she had longed for, to a degree, for months now. She had spent the night before devising the best way to confront Lily's potential connection to Arturia, and she now felt more compelled to act in some way more than ever before.

'Sorry. It's only been two days. I have to keep reminding myself of that. It feels longer. Like I've always known you. Or I should have always known you. We haven't even talked that much, but this comfort – this desire to be with you – it's painful.' Lily's voice quivered, and she stopped walking suddenly. 'Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm saying such creepy things. I'm really sorry. I…'

Rin huffed in frustration, turning to Lily and taking her hand, a current of electricity surging between the girls. Yesterday's shock hadn't been a coincidence. None of this was. None of it. It couldn't be. Both Lily and Rin flinched at the discomfort, but neither let go of the other.

'Come with me.' Rin commanded, pulling Lily along and up to the second floor of the apartment complex building. 'I want to show you something. Let's go inside first.'

'Um…O-okay.' Lily fumbled with her keys for a moment, shakily opening the entrance to her room and allowing Rin in first. The Tohsaka heir did so, her heart speeding up with every second that passed. This could be the point of no return. If she acted now, she could risk losing everything…or gain it all back.

Rin allowed Lily to get slightly settled first, the early evening light painting the living space golden anew as if setting the scene. Clearly shy about the things she had just said, Lily was tentative, slowly turning to meet Rin after removing her school bag and leaving it on the tiny table tucked to the side of the small room.

'Um…So, you have something to show me?'

'I do.' Rin's throat felt like it had a rock in it. What if nothing came of this? Would she give up? Hardly. But her notion of hope might take a hit. Could Rin handle another emotional beating on that level? She had to. If she didn't try at all, her fate had no opportunity for deviation from the path of torture she currently found herself in. This twilight of fluctuation had to find an end one way or the other. Arturia could be with her again. It wasn't impossible. Yet, even if such a happy ending wasn't in her future, Rin had to at least try. She could never move on otherwise. These weren't new thoughts. They were being revisited from the night before, when Rin toiled through them for hours on end. With Lily before her, and after all the evidence compiled, Rin simply didn't have a choice anymore. None whatsoever.

Rin reached into her bag after the briefest of pauses, and she felt the familiar sensation of the plush lion she had gotten for Arturia early on in the war. Its softness had been slightly compromised due to how much Rin had held it over the past few months, but its value hardly waned. Quite the opposite, in fact.

'Here.' Rin pulled the stuffed animal out and held it toward Lily.

Initially, the girl didn't even bat an eye save for raising a brow with inquisitive curiosity. Rin's stomach turned, and for that brief second, she began to wonder if she had imagined all the similarities between Arturia and Lily. Maybe she didn't know one blonde foreigner from the next. Perhaps it wasn't so uncommon to enjoy food. Maybe her last name was literally the only true coincidence.

No. That's ridiculous.

And Rin was right, for Lily instinctively reached for the lion and took hold of it, cradling the plushie with both hands and staring at it with eyes slowly widening.

'How did you know…?' Lily whispered, her face twisting in a mixture of confusion, fear, and joy.

'Know what?' Rin's voice was hushed, barely a sound coming out in restrained anticipation.

'Lions are my favourite. But…it's more than that. This…it's like the sword…A-ah…' Lily winced, clutching the lion close to her chest.

Rin had been trained to take advantage of any opening given to her during combat. This felt like a similar scenario. She played her next hand, all nerves but knowing she had to make a move before anything progressed further one way or another.

'…Saber?' Rin said the servant's class, and Lily responded automatically, without any form of hesitation.

'Yes, Master?'

A heavy silence fell over the room, Lily's stare stretching open as her lips quivered and she dropped the lion. Rin wanted to be happy. She wanted to be elated for the months of agony she had endured. Against all odds, Lily was some form of Arturia. However, the panic on Lily's face; the sheer terror and misunderstanding she exhibited neutered any hope of immediate happiness.

'W-what…? What did I…?'

Rin went to the girl, reaching for her but missing as she stepped backward, shaking her head.

'N-no…I'm…Lily. I'm Lily!' Lily repeated. 'I don't know…who these people are. I'm not…going to take it. I won't. I'm not that girl…I'm me!'

'Lily-san…' Rin attempted to soothe, guilt beginning to wedge itself between the path to Arturia she thought she had opened.

'I…' Lily sobbed.

Before Rin could hear more, the doorbell to Lily's apartment rang, and both girls jumped.

'I'll get it.' Rin touched Lily's arm. Another current of electricity surged between the girls, and Rin swallowed with some effort. She turned back toward the entrance, fairly certain she knew who had arrived.

'Hello?' Rin opened the door, unsurprised to find two men in hats and primarily orange uniforms.

'Rin Tohsaka?' The older one asked with a stern tone.

'Yes.' Rin nodded.

'We're here for a delivery. Can you sign here, please?'

'Of course.' Rin didn't realize her hands were shaking until she could see them reaching for the clipboard and pen extended toward her. She quickly gave her signature and then nodded to the men as she handed the paperwork back.

'Thank-you. This won't take long.' The man tipped his hat and was on his way with his partner.

'What's happening…?' Lily sniffed.

Rin returned her attention to the other girl. She seemed smaller as she now held the stuffed lion close to her chest again. She hadn't moved beyond picking up the toy, but her face looked like it could break into tears any second. This wasn't what Rin wanted. Not at all.

'I ordered you some furniture, Lily-san.' Rin paused, stepping a little closer to the other girl. 'Once it's done being delivered I…I think we should talk. About everything.'