Fate Stay Night – Unlimited Boob Works
Chapter 9 – "Winter Nights Come Early"
"My Master would like to see you . . ."
Shiro felt his blood run cold.
"There are some – things – he would like to discuss . . ."
Shiro knew the voice. But if he had any doubts, the cold contours of the skull shaped mask that pressed against the side of his face when the dark figure leaned close left no uncertainty.
As if to prove his sincerity, Assassin held the tip of a dagger pressed against his back. With the slightest push, he could send it through his lungs, and into his heart.
"This is bad", Shiro thought, feeling the sweat form on his arms and face. "There's nowhere to run. If he wanted to kill me, he could. But – the fact that he announced himself means that he has other plans. Otherwise, I'd already be dead."
"Fine, I'll go."
At this, the shadowy wraith cocked its head to the side, and nodded.
"Such boldness . . . good. Good! Very good! Right this way . . ."
Assassin led the way down the hall to a maintenance corridor that let out into a part of the mall that was under construction. From there they went through a parking garage and out by a highway overpass, then leapt a fence to get to a culvert beyond. The whole time he seemed intent on setting a pace that was difficult for Shiro to match, and even with his athleticism, he found it hard to keep up.
"He's measuring me", Shiro thought, "feeling me out, so that if we fight later, he'll know what I can and can't do."
They passed through a storm tunnel, then out into a series of alleys. Assassin flitted from shadow to shadow – sometimes he was ahead of Shiro, sometimes behind, while other times he walked beside him, but always leading, always guiding, always goading – as ever present as his own shadow. It made Shiro nervous to think that they were passing through so many places where no one else could see – places that most people didn't even know existed.
"As an Assassin, I guess it's his business to know about places like this", he thought, looking down at the mark on his hand. "Saber will probably kill me for this. But if I were to call her now, it would use a Command Seal, and there's no guarantee he wouldn't kill me before she got here. Besides, if I summon her now, we won't get to see who Assassin's Master is. No – better to wait, at least for now, and see what he wants."
Gradually, the strangeness of his surroundings began to give way to a vague sense of familiarity. He recognized a rooftop here, a street corner there, only fleeting glimpses, but it was enough for him to piece together that they were in Miyama town, the old Foreigner District. And then that vague familiarity gave way to a place that was clearly known to him, as he looked up and saw the peculiar corner turret of the Matou Residence.
The Matou Estate was very old, being one of the original buildings, going all the way back to when Miyama town was given to the Foreigners as a port city. It was built on a Western floor plan, with a corner turret and wrap around hallway, as well as a large greenhouse. Maybe it was the age of the building, or maybe that hint of foreign exoticism, but it made Shiro uncomfortable.
The building itself felt old, and tired. The interior was dated, its surfaces worn – the floors, walls, and ceilings. The air itself felt stale, while the plaster had yellowed with time, like aged skin. Something about it gave Shiro that skin crawling feeling; it reminded him of the old saying about climbing the walls to get out of a place, only in this case the walls themselves seemed to be climbing – crawling. If he listened closely, he could almost hear them slithering – though this, of course, must have been his imagination.
At the moment he was sitting in the Matou family kitchen. Assassin sat opposite him, having just set down a cup of tea. The grinning of his skull mask did nothing, of course, to make him feel better about drinking it. He found that as he looked, the death's head smile could be many things – cheerful, genuine, or mocking and condescending, or even teasingly playful. Whatever emotion he brought to it was reflected right back at him, all without giving a hint of its wearer's true intentions.
"Oh well – I suppose he didn't bring me all this way just to poison me here and now . . ."
The tea, incidentally, was quite good.
As he looked, Shiro found he could get a much better sense of Assassin's proportions. Normally he was always in motion, and the perpetual blur of black on black made it hard to tell anything about him with certainty. Now, looking closer, he could see that he was a large man, with broad shoulders – though even in this there was deception. The tunic he wore was sleeveless, and fitted with several extra strips of cloth over each shoulder, so that when he moved, they gave the impression of making him seem much larger than he actually was, furthering the impression of a living shadow.
"Does it bother you, boy?"
"Eh?"
"The mask? I'd remove it for you if I could – only I can't. It doesn't come off, you see. It's a part of me, and I'm a part of it. I'm not sure there's even a face under here to show anymore, other than the mask.
'It's convenient for my Master, I suppose. I couldn't tell you my True Name even if I wanted to, because even I don't know. I've forgotten it – long, long ago –"
"Ah, Shiro Emiya –"
At the mention of Assassin's Master, like the Devil, he appeared.
"Zouken . . ." Shiro thought, turning to look at the man who addressed him. He was ancient, doubled over with age, the bend of his back interrupted only by the support of his cane, which seemed to be the only thing preventing his body from collapsing to the earth. Indeed, it looked like it was already well on its way to returning to it. There was something disgustingly cranial about his face – all his features seemed to have slumped downward, leaving a clear line around the brow that very distinctly showed the dome of his skull. Shiro found the sight of him nauseating.
Zouken smiled.
"I apologize for the unorthodox method of my invitation, however it was necessary. I trust that you are being treated well, and have found everything to your liking?"
At this, Shiro remembered himself. Standing up hastily, he bowed, making the chair rattle as he pushed it away behind him over the kitchen floor.
"Thank you kindly for your most generous hospitality."
"Heh, heh. Kiritsugu was a most unconventional man, but he managed to teach you some manners, and that's something at least –"
At that moment, they were rudely interrupted as Shinji burst in from the hall.
"Grandfather, I – "
At the sight of Shiro, he froze.
"What's HE doing here!?"
"I thought I told you to stay out!"
"Yes, but I – "
"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR !?"
"Yes sir . . ."
"Ahem, I'll get right to the point. Shiro Emiya!" he said, turning back to him, and making Shiro jump.
"You have been exceedingly rude in not coming to see me, to the extent that finally I've had to send for you myself. But the times being what they are, and given the generally useless and unambitious nature of this generation, that's a matter I'm willing to overlook."
Shiro had no idea at all what he might be talking about, but he bowed again anyway, even lowering his eyes, which he would normally never do in the sight of an opponent.
"You SHOULD have come and asked me, boy –"
Shiro bowed again.
"But no matter. Ahem – Shiro Emiya, I hearby give you formal permission to speak with my granddaughter, Sakura."
"Wha - ?"
Shiro was at a loss for words, but Shinji's practically exploded.
"BUT GRANDFATHER –"
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO BE SILENT! I've already made it clear that I expect NOTHING from you, and here you've managed to go and do even LESS than nothing! Keep it up, boy, and you may yet exceed my expectations!" Zouken said mockingly, before turning to Shiro again.
"Well, how about it? Sakura would certainly make you happy, and very prosperous. You'd have to feed her, of course – to not do so would be disastrous – heh, heh – though I certainly can't fault you if you've taken a liking to that Einzbern girl. I could never fault you for THAT . . ."
Shiro stared in disbelief.
"Ah, well. Think it over, will you? You don't have to answer all at once. And now – ahem – Assassin, our guest will be leaving. Please see to it that he is escorted safely from the premises."
"Wha - !?" Shiro said again, still at a loss for words as Assassin clapped him on the shoulder, nearly making him spill his half finished tea. He could still hear Shinji's protests as the door closed behind him.
"But Grandfather!" Shinji called, his voice echoing in the hall.
At first Zouken ignored him, making his way along the rounded passage at the base of the turret, but the boy seemed intent on following him.
"UWAH!" he called, pitching over to the floor.
"Does it HURT, boy?" Zouken asked mockingly, smiling as Shinji clutched his foot in pain. "Perhaps you'd like me to heal it for you?"
"AH! NO!" Shinji shouted, recoiling as Zouken leaned close. "Anything but that!"
Zouken sighed.
"You're as useless as your father. At least Kariya had my will. He didn't have my strength, but he had the WILL to overcome death, and he followed it to the end. Perhaps I was too hasty with him . . .
'But no matter. Do you have it?" he asked, as Assassin reappeared in the hall.
At this, Assassin reached into his robes and procured a short cane. It had a black body, and was rather small, though not so small as the one that Zouken used now. All its length was carved, being decorated with a series of faces and symbols Shinji could neither recognize nor comprehend. They had a curious, handmade quality to them, not without skill, though certainly not what one would call expertly done.
Zouken held the cane up and looked at it thoughtfully.
"This used to belong to me, when I was a much younger man. But you seem to be in worse need of it now –"
And with this, he held it out with one hand, dismissively.
Shinji looked at the cane cautiously. He'd learned to be fearful of his Grandfather's gifts.
"Well?" Zouken demanded, moving to take it away.
"No, please!"
At this, Shinji seized hold. Pressing the cane to the floor, he used it to clamber to his feet again, leaning on it heavily.
Zouken sighed again, then turned, making his was back along the hall, leaving the boy to follow after him as best as he could.
For several moments Shiro paced back and forth in front of the Matou Estate. He didn't want to linger there, but he didn't want to go straight home either – he still had the sickly feeling that Zouken's miasma was clinging to him somehow, and it was a sensation that the chilly air could only partly dispel.
"Maybe a walk will help", he thought.
But where to go? He didn't want to wander aimlessly.
"I wonder if Rin is home?"
The Tohsaka house was in the opposite direction, but it wasn't that far. He wondered about it until he got as far as the corner, but by then, his mind was made up.
"She'll probably scold me", he thought to himself. He could just imagine what she would say:
"There is NO need for someone like YOU to come check up on someone like ME – YOU can barely take care of YOURSELF!"
But just the thought of her insults warmed him somehow. And so he set off down the street.
Issei sat up, groaned, and then fell back into bed. True to her word, Caster's magic had healed him of his broken ribs and any other major injuries, but she had stopped short of doing anything about his bruises, scrapes, or scratches.
"There, that should teach you a lesson."
Lancer agreed.
"Aye, pain's a good teacher."
Evidently it was a lesson he was going to be learning and relearning for quite some time. Every time he moved, it brought some new pain, so that his whole body felt like one giant ache.
"Hunhh . . ." he sighed, flopping onto his back.
It was much too late for any thought of going to school, so for the moment he lay with his arms sprawled to either side as he contemplated the pain of his own existence.
"Oh well, even Class Presidents can be sick once in a while . . ."
When at last he did get up, he found that getting dressed was an entirely new exercise in torture. Putting on pants wasn't so bad – he could simply crawl into them, inching downwards until he was able to fasten the belt around his waist. But putting on a shirt was another matter entirely. He couldn't could barely lift his arms as high as his shoulders, and trying to reach over his head was enough to make him scream. For a moment he started at his t-shirt, feeling utterly defeated.
In the end, the only way he was able put it on was by holding it in front of him, slipping his hands through the sleeves, and his head through the neck, and then pulling the rest down until it reached his waist. It was an exercise he had no intention of repeating, and so instead of a sweatshirt or sweater he put on one of his old house kimonos, wrapping it around him like a robe, and slipped a haori over his shoulders.
Outside, he found Lancer in the yard, practicing with his spear. He greeted him with a wave of its bladed tip that Issei did his best to return. Caster, meanwhile, was busy with one of her devices.
"You're up early", she said, without looking away.
"Early? It's well past noon!"
"The sun's still up. After the kind of night you had, I expected the moon would be up before you were."
"That's fair . . ."
Finished, Caster threw down her tools, then stood up, and dusted herself off. Removing her gloves, she dusted her hands, and actually began to hum.
"Hmm – hmm – hmm, Hm – hmm – hmm – hmmm . . ."
"You're in an unusually good mood."
"I've been busy. While you slept, and before that, while you were out gallivanting around, I've been making discoveries. And I think I've found the answer to what we need", she said, leading him to a scenic overlook at the edge of the temple grounds.
"In the end, the ritual for summoning the Holy Grail isn't overly complex. Oh, there are some specific spells and incantations, but mostly it's about power. It takes the power of seven Servants, and their seven masters, but if you use the right invocations, and feed it enough power, the Grail will appear.
'Come – tell me what you see."
Looking out between two sets of trees, Issei found he had an uninterrupted view down the mountain, to the town beyond. The view had been there before, all along really, and he remembered visiting it as a child – it even had a little brown plaque next to it to mark it out as a point of interest for visitors to the temple – but growing up next to it, he had forgotten how breathtaking it actually was.
He could see the edges of the rooftops, and the line of tall buildings that marked the beginnings of the downtown area, stretching out to the bay, where the two arched red bridges made their march out to the island, and then on to the sea beyond. The sun was already setting behind them, and in the valley below, some of the lights were beginning to come on.
Issei watched them twinkling, unsure of how he should answer.
"I see Fuyuki City."
"Ah, but do you really SEE her? Do you really know her? Consider her streets and towers – her buildings, her people, the energy flowing through her – not unlike the pathways of a magic circuit . . ."
"A magic circuit?"
"Mmm, yes. They're what mages possess. The physical pathways of magic power in the human body – just like how the womb is the palace of creation, or the place where the body is joined to the soul.
'Ancient people often built their sacred sites along ley lines – lines of magical power. For just as there are pathways in the sea, and currents in the air, and veins in rocks and stones – so there are magical pathways too."
"Faerie Lines they're called in my country – " Lancer put in, from over his shoulder.
"Sometimes the people built their temples alongside the ley lines because they were there, and sometimes the lines formed and shifted because of the the people. The site of this temple is actually situated on a place where two lines converge – you probably have a few latent magic circuits yourself just from growing up in such a place."
"Me?"
"Yes – it's not unlike magnetism being induced by rubbing a piece of steel with a magnetic rock . . ."
Issei frowned, not appreciating being compared to a lump of metal – or a rock.
" . . . Though I wouldn't suggest going off and picking a fight with one of the other Masters just yet."
"You needn't worry."
"At any rate, this temple is built where two of those lines converge. And when you take into account the proximity of the local power grid – " she said, pointing down at a nearby electric pole, where two workmen were busy with some sort of maintenance activity, "We already have all of the power we need. It's just a matter of harnessing it. Come, boy, we have much to do, and it will be nightfall soon."
"Shiro . . ? What are *you* doing here?"
Shiro looked at the way Rin stood framed by the light of the open doorway. Winter nights come early, and it was already nearly dark by the time he'd arrived at her doorstep. Outside the light was grey and lowering, and the sight of Rin in her red sweater and black skirt with the soft light shining behind her was warm and inviting.
"Oh – uh – I just happened to be in the neighborhood, and – "
Rin put her hand on her hip and glared at him incredulously.
"What? Well I was! Anyway – what are YOU doing here?"
"Me? What am *I* doing here? It's MY house!"
"Well, yeah, but – I figured you would have gone back to the Emiya estate by now, but I saw the light was on, and so – I wanted to stop by and check up on you."
"Oh. That's – very nice . . . I was actually catching up on a few things in my workshop. Would you like to come in?"
For a moment, Shiro stared at her, as if he did not understand what her words meant.
"You know – inside? You're either inside or outside – that's how doors work", Rin said sarcastically, moving the door back and forth on its hinges as if to demonstrate.
"Sorry . . ."
She looked at him questioningly, leaning close his face.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah . . ."
"I – hope I'm not interrupting anything – " he said, listening to the sound of the door shutting behind him.
"Mmm, not really."
For a moment he looked up at the chandelier that lit the foyer.
"So what's with the bag? You look like you've been out shopping?"
"Oh, this?" Shiro said, holding the bag up shyly. "I figured I could use some new clothes, so – "
"Shiro Emiya, Hero of Justice, out shopping?" Rin teased, flashing him her fox eyed smile. That's not like you. Wait – let me guess – you bought tights and a cape!" she added, sticking out her tongue.
"Very funny. I'll have you know it actually turned out rather nice. Rider helped me, so – "
"Ohh . . ." Rin said, suddenly grasping something Shiro seemed to miss.
"What is it?"
"I see . . ." Rin went on, lowering her eyes, as she balled her hands up into fists.
"What's wrong?"
"SHIRO EMIYA!" Rin shouted, her voice suddenly exploding. "If you did these kinds of things on purpose, you'd be a JERK! And I could HATE you! And that would be FINE! But you don't – and you're not – and that's why – that's why it hurts so much . . ."
"Tohsaka . . ?"
". . . It's fine. In the end, it's probably better this way. Sakura's a much better choice for you – "
"Sakura?"
"I mean – she can cook – and clean – and do the laundry – all of that domestic stuff. I can't to any of those things. The only thing I can do is cast spells . . ." Rin said, evidently unaware of the one she was casting at that moment.
"TOHSAKA!" Shiro shouted, suddenly seizing her hand and holding it between his own.
"Let go!" Rin shouted back, struggling, but he held her fast.
"Don't SAY things like that! There are plenty of WONDERFUL things about you!"
"I said let go", Rin repeated, but no longer struggling. "There is nothing wonderful about me."
"That's not true. You're so smart. And so brave – you always know what to do, and you do it, no matter the consequences. And you always say what's true, even if it isn't what people want to hear. You're a much better Mage and a much better Master than I could ever be – "
"Now you're just flattering me . . ."
"I am not. And as for all of that domestic stuff, that's no big deal. I mean – I can already do all of that on my own, so I don't need someone to do it for me – "
"What am I saying!?" Shiro thought to himself. He had a vague sense that he was in some sort of danger, though he couldn't say how. And he certainly didn't mean to say anything bad about Sakura. It was just, he couldn't bear the sight of Rin looking so unhappy.
"Well – you certainly know your way around the kitchen", Rin said, finally finding the courage to look him in the eye again.
"Heh, heh – yeah, I guess I do."
"And you DO look good in an apron", she teased, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Yeah, I guess so", he said, laughing along with her. It was a relief to see her smiling again, though it made him a bit nervous when she leaned in close.
"It – suits you . . ."
By now he could feel her breath against his cheek.
"Yeah, I guess it does."
Rin closed her eyes, and leaned in closer.
That was when the power went out.
"More! MORE! Give me more power!"
"This thing can't TAKE much more!" Lancer shouted. "It's about to fly apart as it is!"
The arms of the magical engine were whirling overhead, creating all the frenzied terror of an electrical storm brought to the surface of the earth, while the flaming bulls were baying and lowering, calling out in fear as they ran in circles in a mad attempt to get away from the power they were helping to produce, and all the while the lightning of the storm and the fire of the bulls bathed the entire temple hilltop in an eerie light.
But Caster was undeterred.
"I DON'T CARE !" she shouted, "I AM THE CASTER MEDEA, WHO MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE, AND WHO DOES WHAT MEN SAY CANNOT BE DONE, AND I SAID MORE POWER !"
Issei stared at her in a breathless mix of admiration and terror.
"All right, you asked for it – "
At Caster's command, Lancer dutifully raised the lever, pushing it all the way to the top of the machine. As Issei watched, the white light that had formed between the terminals of the various wires began to take shape. At first it was an indistinct blur, but then it twisted into a whirlwind, turning like a lump of clay on a potter's wheel. And then the wind began to take form. The uppermost part flared out, as if to form a bowl, while underneath it pinched in, making a waist that became a stem upon which it sat. This spindle flowed down, weaving in and out several times in an undulating shape, until it flared out again to form a pedestal for its base.
Even to Issei's untrained eye, the shape was unmistakable. It was the shape of a cup.
At the sight of it, Caster's eyes widened.
"THAT'S IT! Just a little bit more, and – "
B – A – A – A – M – M – M ! ! ! ! ! ! !
There was a loud bang. Then a sizzle as all of the transformers at the nearby power station melted.
And then the power went out.
"Well, damn!" Caster said. She was sitting on the stone fence, looking out over the darkened neighborhood, where she had watched as one by one all of the successive power grids had gone out. Lancer had momentarily disappeared, and when he returned, he handed her a bottle.
"Is this beer?" she asked.
"Aye – 'tis."
"Hmph. In Greece we drank wine", she complained, taking a drink anyway.
"My apologies. I'll remember that the next time you decide to blow up half the neighborhood."
"I did NOT blow up half of the neighborhood", Caster said crossly. "I simply – miscalculated . . ."
Lancer handed Issei an aluminum can before opening his own bottle.
"Here you go, lad. It's soda – I have no idea what the young people drink nowadays, so I hope it's sufficient."
Issei nodded gratefully.
"We're going to need more power . . ." Caster said, after a long pause. "And a Vessel to contain it. Still, we showed that it IS possible – Take THAT, you bastards at the Mage's Association! You can take that Clocktower, and shove it up your – ahem!" she broke off, looking at Lancer. "I think I've been hanging out with YOU entirely too long", she said, taking another long drink.
"Ah! "But still – " she added, turning to Issei.
" – Not bad for a witch and half rate!" she laughed, punching him in the arm.
"Hey!" Lancer protested. "I helped TOO, ya' know."
"Trace on!"
"Lux, lucea!"
Shiro and Rin's voices called out, almost in unison. At Rin's words, a red light went up, and Shiro could see her standing, holding a glowing magic gem clutched between each of her fingers. For his own part, he had his hand outstretched with his sleeve rolled up, showing the glowing green lines of his magic circuit as they flowed down his arm.
For a moment they laughed together at their mutual resourcefulness.
"Ignis!" Rin said, holding one of the gems out towards a nearby candlestick. At once each of its three tiers burst into flame. "Ha! Let's see your re-enforcement magic do THAT!"
"Fine, you win."
"What was that?"
"I said you win."
She cupped her hand to her ear.
"One more time."
"Now you're just being difficult!"
Rin stuck out her tongue and beamed.
"Look, you really don't have to do this . . ."
Rin said as they stood in the middle of the stairs, Shiro leading the way with one of his short swords held out in front of him as he held the candlestick aloft, while she trailed behind, keeping one hand on his shoulder while her other still clutched her magic gems.
"It's an old house, in an old neighborhood. Power outages really aren't that uncommon – "
"Even so, I'd rather be sure. We're in the middle of a war, after all."
"Well, that is true I guess. When did YOU get to be the level headed one?" she asked, gripping his shoulder tight when the stairs made an unexpected creak.
Shiro did his best to ignore the sensation of her fingers as he continued his way down.
"Ow! That wax is hot!"
"How do you think *I* feel!"
"You're a man, you're supposed to be tough!"
"It still hurts!"
"Ah! Watch it! If you drip that in my hair – "
They had already made a sweep of the upstairs, and now were headed back to the main floor, where they checked the kitchen and the parlor, along with the workshop downstairs, before heading back to the main hall.
"Boy, it sure is dark out", Shiro said, poking his head out the door to see the extent of the outage. There were no streetlights, and most of the houses were dark, with the exception of a few where the residents had lit candles, as they had done. The effect was a blackness that stretched for miles, in every direction. It was unnerving, and he was glad to shut the door again, and bolt the darkness out, and the two of them in.
"Ah, well, they'll get it sorted out. You wait here, while I get some tea. I'm sure it will come back on any minute."
Or so Rin said.
But the power was still out by the time she got back, so she set up the tray, and lit a small burner under the kettle to boil the water, before adding it to the tea pot. All the while she fussed and complained, but secretly she was glad to have him to herself for a while.
The power still was out by the time they finished their tea, so she made each of them a second cup, and lit the candelabras on either side of the fireplace, so that they would have a little more light. By then Shiro was embarrassed to say that he needed to go to the bathroom, which was a bit of an ordeal, since he had to set the candlestick on the sink in order to see, but he managed all right, and then Rin had to excuse herself, and then she made them a third cup of tea – but the power still hadn't come back on.
For a moment they sat listening to the sound of the clock, ticking on the mantle.
"Do you see anything?" Rin asked, as Shiro peeked out the window.
"Nothing. It looks like it's still out for miles. Whatever happened must have really been something."
"Look . . ." Rin said, taking hold of one of her twin tails and twirling it between her fingers. "It's not that I mind you being here. I'm actually rather grateful. But it's getting late . . ."
"I'm sorry to be a bother – "
"Oh, it's no bother! It's just – shouldn't you be getting back?"
"Back where?"
"Well, back to Emiya house. Back home?"
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine – "
"But I can't just leave you – "
"I DON'T need protecting – " she said, folding her arms, "Especially not from someone like you – "
"But you'd be here by yourself – "
"I can manage quite nicely by myself – "
"But you'd be all alone – "
"I'm MORE than capable of taking care of myself! YOU had better get back to Saber and Illya – I'm sure you're worried sick about them – "
"I'm not worried about Saber or Illya – I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU!"
Rin turned her head to the side, unable to look at him.
"Shiro, I – "
"Look, I – I'm sorry I yelled. It's just – Saber's a Saber class Servant. She can take care of herself. And Illya's got Dad with her. But you're here by yourself. And Archer is nowhere to be found – "
"Oh, I'm sure he'll turn up. He'll appear any minute – probably when I least want or expect him.
'Archer – Archer!" she called, secretly hoping he wouldn't answer, and that Shiro wouldn't notice how little of an effort she'd made.
"Hmm, he doesn't seem to be answering. I suppose I could always use a Command Seal . . ."
"No! Shiro shouted, grabbing her hand again as she held it up, making Rin blush. "You've got to keep your Command Seals! Guard them with your life! Don't you remember – you're the one who told me that?"
"Well, yes, but – "
"I'm staying, and that's final."
". . . Well, if you're going to insist."
"Um – are you going to sleep in your clothes?" Shiro asked as Rin sat down on the bed.
"Well, if you must know, I typically sleep in the nude."
Shiro's eyes went wide.
"Uh – "
"I'm joking you idiot!" Rin shouted, putting her hands on her hips. "And don't look so excited! I go to bed in pajamas, just like everyone else! But seeing as how you don't have a change of clothes, I didn't want to be inconsiderate, so I'm going to bed like this – "
"I don't want you to be uncomfortable because of me – "
"I've been plenty worse than uncomfortable because of you!" Rin scowled as she took down her hair. Reaching up, she undid one of the black ribbons that held her twin tails in place, and moved towards the other, when she felt Shiro's eyes on her.
He had never pictured her like this, and now, with the long, dark tresses of her brown hair hanging down past her shoulders, it was as though she were sitting naked before him.
"Um, Tohsaka-san . . ." his voice trailed off as her fingers undid the other bow.
"Don't call me that! It's rude . . ."
"Call you what!?" Shiro asked, confused.
"Tohsaka-san! All this time I've been calling you Shiro, and you won't even use my first name . . ."
"Right Tohsa – Ra – Rin! I mean Rin!"
Rin glared at him.
"Nevermind", she said, getting up to move the candlestick from her dresser to the nightstand, before sitting back down on the bed. "On second thought, Tohsaka will do – "
And with this she blew the candle out, and laid down beside him. She'd never had a boy in her room before, and this was not at all what she had imagined.
Shiro, for his part, laid on his back, staring up at the canopy of Rin's bed as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The Tohsaka estate was very old, and full of presence, possessed of an atmosphere that was so thick it was almost oppressive, like a sweet smell in an enclosed room. The furniture was all antique, and what with Rin being kept busy with both her studies and the pursuit of magecraft, everything that wasn't used on a daily basis drowsed beneath a layer of dust – though Shiro imagined that in a place like this, even the cob webs were probably of some historic significance.
For all of that, it still had its own kind of cheerfulness. It was nothing like the openness of Emiya house, but when the power was on, the lights were warm, and the rooms were cozy and inviting, their yellow walls honeyed with age.
"I wonder how Saber and Illya are doing?" he thought. "I sure hope everyone is alright . . ."
But there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.
"For now, I'd better get some sleep."
At least, that was his thought. But laying on his back was quickly becoming painfully uncomfortable. He'd slept in a western bed before, on several occasions, and did not find it disagreeable, but being in a strange house in a strange bed was a bit much for him. In his futon, everything was on the ground, on the same level. There was no sense of separation, and he could just lay his alarm clock, the school work he was procrastinating, the manga he shouldn't be reading, his spare clothes and extra pillows and whatever else all around him. But in Rin's room, everything felt very compartmentalized. There was the surface of the bed, the tops of the nightstand and the dresser, along with a small writing table – all individual and separated from one another.
"It feels kind of – lonely . . ." he thought, rolling over onto his side, only to have his face confronted by a wall. "This is no good, I can't protect Tohsaka like this!"
He lamented that it should have been him sleeping on the outside, between Rin and the door, but when he turned, he was in for another shock. The sudden sight of Rin's back caught him off guard. Her hair was parted on either side of her neck, and even in the dark, her shoulders seemed to glare at him angrily.
"Yikes!" Shiro recoiled, scooting back a bit on the pillow. But this left an altogether different problem. He had never really thought about how to sleep next to anyone, and now that the matter arose, he realized that he didn't know how.
With Illya, things were different. She simply slithered into his bed, at all hours of the night. Half the time he didn't even know, until he woke up, only to find the two of them a dreaming pile of blue and purple pajamas. But this was another matter. Here he was, lying next to Rin Tohsaka, arguably the prettiest and most popular girl in all of their school, and he didn't have a clue as to what he should do about it.
"I guess that's just one more thing I'm not good at", he thought, bringing his right hand up to place it on the pillow beside him, careful to avoid the region of her posterior – any mistakes here would no doubt prove fatal.
But that left the matter of what to do with his other hand? He tried laying it on his side, but that felt too precarious, as if it might roll off the moment he fell asleep. There was no more room on the pillow, and the space between them was a kind of no man's land where one false move might accidentally lead to all sorts of problems.
He was still holding up his hand, wondering what to do, when Rin reached out her own. With one fell swoop, she reached up, and taking hold of his wrist, pulled his arm around her.
"Tohsaka . . ?"
For an answer, she scooted back, inching her way until her shoulders met his chest, pressing against him, all the while holding his arm tightly around her. At the last, she gave his wrist a commanding squeeze, as if to caution him against removing it, then relaxed.
The last thing he remembered seeing was the sight of their two hands, laying together on the blanket, the red lines of their Command Seals emitting a soft glow. And then he drifted off to sleep.