Fate Stay Night Unlimited Boob Works
Chapter 11 – "The (Un)Dress Of Heaven
The next morning Shiro awoke to find himself restrained beneath a tangled cage of silver netting.
"Sheesh, I guess she wasn't kidding!" he thought, as he strained to get up.
Rather than a single strand, Illya had covered him with no less than two dozen magic threads, weaving them together and casting them over him like a web. Her quarry thus secured, she herself was able to sleep soundly, and lay dozing beside him peacefully, until his efforts to get up disturbed her.
"Mmpfh – five more minutes . . ." she called dreamily.
"Man, she sure is thorough", he thought, as he struggled to remove the tangled netting. "But she is cute, though . . ."
At the moment Illya was laying face down, with one arm outstretched, and resting her cheek against the pillow. She was dressed in a set of purple pajamas made of some silky stuff with ruffles that bloused out nicely. When he reached to smooth the lines of her collar, she looked up, feeling his eyes upon her.
"What is it?" she asked, sitting up when she saw the earnest look on his face.
Shiro took a deep breath. He'd been planning this for quite some time, but now that it had finally come to it, he realized he still had no idea what to do.
"Look, I'm really sorry about yesterday –"
At once her lips frowned into a pout, instantly ready to continue their argument from the night before. But Shiro went on.
"Ever since all of this started – for the last few weeks now – it just seems like everything has been Holy Grail this, and Grail War that. We've been sneaking around, staking out the city, investigating and making plans and having discussions – but we haven't done anything else – "
Illya tilted her head to the side, and looked at him curiously as he took each of her hands in his own.
" – And so – I just thought – maybe for today – it might be nice to – to spend some time, just the two of us, for a while . . ."
There, that didn't go half badly.
Who was he kidding? He'd butchered everything.
Cringing, Shiro watched as the effect of his words played out across Illya's face. Slowly, she withdrew her hands, then turned, and got up, turning her back towards him. She took a deep breath, then let it out in a long sigh. And then she began to gather up her clothes.
"Wait – what are you doing?" Shiro asked, his voice in a panic.
"I'm going home – "
"But why!?"
Illya paused. As her back tensed, he got the impression that it was taking a great deal of effort for her not to turn around. Looking at her shoulders, it seemed like they were shaking. Was she crying?
"Because – ", she said, "It takes a girl a VERY long time to get ready. That, and – we can't very well call it a DATE if we just leave from here. You have to come and pick me up. From my house."
And with that, she finished gathering up her things, and went out the door.
"Wait!" he called, reaching after her, still trying to decipher what had just happened.
Falling back into his futon, he turned the matter over and over again in his mind. But no matter how he looked at it – and even making a generous allowance for his own stupidity – he could come to no other conclusion.
"I think I just asked Illya out on a date – " he said to himself.
And from what he could tell, he was pretty sure that she had said yes.
"Well THAT went better than expected!"
He breathed a sigh of relief as laid he back on his futon again. For once in his life, it seemed things might actually be going well for a change. The sense of relief was momentary. Instantly, his mind filled with a thousand things that he needed to do. He would need to take a shower, and a bath, and then make sure that his clothes were all in order – he hadn't taken them out since he'd bought them, so they were still in the bag, and might need to be washed, or at least ironed.
"Be sure you remove all of the tags first!" he could hear Rider saying.
And he would need to swing by the bank and take out some –
"What do you mean, EMPTY!" Shiro shouted, staring at the ATM. But of course it didn't answer him.
It wasn't exactly empty, but it might as well have been. The balance of 2.00 yen was more like an insult, and it would have been nicer if the little machine had just kicked him in the shin and laughed at him instead.
"What the hell happened!?" he thought. "I mean, I've got TWO jobs!"
Doing some quick mental math, he soon realized the problem.
"Oh – the shopping trip!" he groaned.
Even on sale, the clothes he'd bought with Rider had been expensive, not to mention the jacket and shoes. And he hadn't been back to work in several days to pick up his check.
"It's okay, I'll just swing by and –"
"CLOSED!?"
He stared at the little plastic sign. But then again, of course it would be. Of his two jobs, one was at a café, and the other was at a small restaurant. The café was open in the mornings and afternoons, and the restaurant was open in the evenings. He'd already gotten his check from the café at the beginning of the week, and of course the restaurant was closed at this time of day.
"It's okay – I'll just swing by tonight to pick up my check, and – "
But by then the BANK would be closed.
"Damn it! Maybe I can stop by the café and pick up a shift before – "
But running the numbers, he knew there wouldn't be time, and even if there was, it wouldn't be enough. And there was no way he could keep Illya waiting.
Shiro took a deep breath, feeling the sweat gathering beneath his arms, and swallowed hard. No matter how he looked at it, there was no other way.
"So, let me get this straight – you want me to give you an advance on your inheritance – your father's estate – so that you can take Miss Einzbern on a date?" Miss Taiga asked.
Shiro swallowed hard.
"Um, well – you see – "
"I'm just – kind of shocked. All this time – in all these years – you've never once taken an interest in your father's estate – "
"I'll pay it back! I promise! With interest!"
Taiga-sensei raised an eyebrow.
"You should be careful putting yourself in debt to the great Taiga-dono. Why you might as well be selling your soul!"
"Look – it's just – the Festival is this weekend, and I don't get paid until the week after. I've already got two part time jobs – and I'll take on another one! I'll pay everything back – plus extra! I swear!"
"Shiro – I"ll give you the money."
"Look, I'll do anything, I – wait, you will . . ?"
"In all this time, you've never once asked for anything. Not one single time have you asked for anything for yourself. I'll give you the money, and you don't have to pay it back. It's not a loan – it's your own money after all."
"Really?"
"Yes. But in return", she added, a mischievous look coming into her eyes. "Sometime soon, after you and Miss Einzbern have your date – is it Einzbern? Miss Von Einzbern? I never quite understood how that whole particle thing is supposed to work – "
"You're supposed to be the teacher!"
"Anyhow – after your date, YOU are going to sit down with ME, and WE are going to go over the details of the Emiya estate. Taxes – finances – everything."
Shiro groaned.
"It's high time that you started thinking about your responsibilities as the future head of the Emiya household. After all, what would you ever do if something were to happen to me?"
"Nothing's gonna' happen to you – "
"I mean, I'm sure you'd be beside yourself with grief! Inconsolable for weeks! Months! Years! Decades!"
"Decades!?"
"But eventually – after a lengthy mourning period – and years of therapy – "
"You're the one who needs therapy!"
" – Life would go on. Ha! Foolish boy! I'll make you WISH you only had to pay back the money! By the time I'm done with you, you'll rue the day that you ever allowed yourself to fall into the debt of the great and terrible Miss Taiga! Mua – ha – ha – ha!"
"Wait – I thought you said it was my money?"
"Oh, right – well – Mua – ha – ha – ha anyway!"
"Oh good grief."
Shiro looked at his reflection in the mirror. He'd done his best to follow Rider's directions, but he couldn't escape the feeling that he hadn't gotten things quite right.
"Let's see – 'Top bottom unbuttoned!' and 'Waistband untucked!'" he thought. Recalling the sensation of Rider's fingers about his waist and neck made him feel giddy.
"I guess that's what they mean by butterflies in the stomach", he said, checking that the pendant he'd bought showed through at the top of his shirt, and that the buckle of his belt was visible beneath.
"Man – is this what girls go through?"
Of all the points of his appearance, his hair worried him the most. Usually he just brushed the loose collection of spikes that sat atop his head, and trusted that things would more or less turn out all right, but for the occasion he'd used some spray, and it had left his hair with something of a frosted look that he was not at all sure about. It was different from his usual appearance, and while different wasn't necessarily bad, it wasn't necessarily good, either.
"Maybe I should have used gel instead? Damn! There's no time to do anything about it now –"
He checked the clock, seriously considering taking a second shower, but that would have made him late for sure.
"I guess I'll just have to go like this", he thought, brushing off his shoes, and lifting his jacket over his shoulder, doing his best to imitate the look that had gotten Rider's approving glances.
Rider herself was nowhere to be seen. He'd hoped to run into her for some last minute advice, but Sakura's servant had made herself scarce, and Sakura herself was nowhere to be found either.
"Maybe that's just her way of telling me that I need to do some things on my own for a change."
Rin had also excused herself, saying that she had something to attend to that evening – something about black magic rituals and curses.
"Ha – ha – she's such a kidder", Shiro laughed.
The only one who had shown up to see him off was Saber.
True to her word, Miss Taiga had shown up right on time – actually a little early. Thinking about it, this was probably the only time that Shiro could remember that she hadn't been late.
"Ohh – let's see my little man! AWW! You look so cute! All grown up! Better be careful, or Miss Von Einzbern will eat you up!"
Shiro rolled his eyes. He was grateful that the other girls weren't there to hear, but sharing his embarrassment at Miss Taiga's teasing with only Saber was also a bit awkward. She'd come out dressed in her navy blue skirt and white blouse – the same ones that he'd gotten her – and she was even wearing dark pantyhose. It seemed a bit formal for such a sendoff, and something in her manner seemed filled with unease.
"Master . . ."
"It's alright, don't worry Saber. Nothing's going to happen. I'll be in crowds the whole time, and if anything does happen, I'll call – I promise."
With this dubious reassurance, Saber was left to look after him as he stepped into the next room, where Miss Taiga discreetly handed him a white envelope.
"Two – three – four – this is way too much!"
"Shiro dear", Miss Taiga said, putting her arm around him as she leaned in close. "Girls don't like cheap dates. A good woman is willing to GO on an inexpensive date – but that doesn't mean you should take her on one.
'Don't spend it all in one place, and don't be arrogant and flash it around – we don't like that – but don't be stingy – we don't like that, either – "
"Miss . . . Taiga . . ?"
"All right, you kids have fun! Don't do anything I wouldn't do! And for that matter, don't do half of the things I would do – and don't be afraid to call me if you need anything!"
"Miss Taiga –"
"I know – I know – the big, fearless Hero of Justice doesn't need help from anyone! But seriously – don't be afraid to call if you get into trouble."
With these encouragements and instructions, along with a whole lot of other advice he didn't want or need, Shiro was finally free, and made his way to the Einzbern estate, where he very quickly found himself waiting on the castle steps.
He had never considered himself anything remotely like a prince charming, but as he looked up at the castle spires that surrounded the elaborate portico porch, it occurred to him that this must be a little bit like how it would be to date an actual princess. Thankfully, he didn't have much time to think about it before Leysritt opened the door. Or was it Sella? He never could tell the two of them apart.
"Ah, young master Shiro, we've been expecting you", the homunculus said, ushering him inside. Ilya was standing in the hallway beyond.
She was dressed in what could only be described as a warm up suit, a matching, two piece affair in a shade of medium purple that was neither light nor dark, but instead hovered in between in a kind of reddish cranberry color. It had a hooded jacket for the top, whose open zipper showed a very smart looking black t-shirt underneath with purple trim. The pants were the same color as the jacket, while on her feet she wore a pair of tennis shoes in the same cranberry color that coordinated nicely with the rest of her outfit, and had dark purple laces. They were decorated with little pink sakura flowers that started at the toes and went running down either side of each foot, giving the impression that wherever she went, each step she took was on a bed of flowers.
It was very stylish, and it certainly did look good on her, but one could not escape the impression that she was dressed less for a date, and more for an evening of very fashionable jogging.
At the sight of Shiro, Illya's mouth dropped.
Leysritt looked at Shiro, and then at Illya, and then back to Shiro again. Without a word, she took out a 5.00 yen note and handed it to Sella.
"Come along, young Mistress. I shall help you get changed."
"Hey, look – " Shiro said. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. If it's a problem, I can run home and get changed – "
"OH – NO!" Illya commanded imperiously. "You stay RIGHT there, and just like that. JUST – like – that – " she said, as Leyritt escorted her down the hall.
"Illya, close your mouth dear. It's not good for a young Lady to appear too eager. That, and – you're drooling."
"I AM *NOT* DROOLING!"
Shiro listened to sound of their voices fade away, then turned, only to find Sella staring at him with a catlike expression.
"Well then, young Master – would you prefer to wait in the formal parlor, or the informal parlor?"
Shiro looked up at Sella as she stared down at him through narrowed eyes, her words still echoing in his mind.
" – would you prefer to wait in the formal parlor, or the informal parlor?"
"It's some sort of test", he thought to himself, though he didn't know what he was being tested on, or why, so he had no way of guessing the right answer.
It was not lost on him that Sella was standing between him and the door, and her stark white figure cut a commanding presence with her neck and shoulders shrouded in a medieval styled nun's wimple that for some reason seemed to make up the normal uniform for maids at the Einzbern castle.
In the end, he decided to answer honestly.
"The informal parlor, I guess. It sounds a lot more comfortable, at least."
Sella smiled, a neutral smile that betrayed nothing.
"Very good", she said, turning and gesturing to her left. "Right this way."
As Shiro made his way through the door, he was so nervous he would not have been at all surprised if a trap door had opened under his feet and dropped him into a pit of spikes or some sort of dungeon in the basement.
As it was, he found himself standing in a living room that was not remarkably unlike the one he had at home. To the right there was a TV – bigger than his, of course, while off to the left was a couch, its cushions a bit worn, and its pillows in a general state of disarray. A light weight throw blanket lay piled where someone – no doubt Illya – had been sitting beneath it moments before, while under the TV sat a relatively late model gaming console. Several DVDs and a loose collection of remotes and controllers lay scattered around in a manner that gave the room a cozy, lived in feel.
"It look a lot like – home . . ." he thought with surprise.
But it was what he could see through the corner of the doorway beyond that really caught his attention.
"Is that the – kitchen?" he asked timidly, unable to resist taking a peek.
"It's the Servants' Kitchen", Sella explained, opening the door a bit wider so that he could take a better look.
'There's a much larger, more formal kitchen over on the other side, to service the formal dining room. But truth be told, most of Miss Illya's meals are cooked here. It's smaller, and easier to keep clean."
"Wow . . ."
Shiro looked around in amazement. Sella may have described the room as small, but it was easily as big as the main room of his own house. The kitchen was laid out on a very efficient plan. The back wall contained a refrigerator and stove with an oven, while an island in the middle of the room provided a counter space that was midway in between them, so that one might easily turn from it and have access to either of the appliances.
Looking at a rack on the wall, Shiro spied a collection of familiar yellow handles.
"Wow!" he said again, unable to resist picking one up. It was a brand he had seen at a local department store, as well as advertised on TV, famed for its quality, and very reputable. Each piece went for anywhere from 7,000 to 8,000 yen – probably the price of every single pot and pan in his whole kitchen, so to see a whole set of them together was worth a small fortune, and well more than he could imagine.
"Wow . . ." he said again, holding the skillet up, admiring the weight and balance – until he noticed that Sella was glaring at him, her two red eyes threatening to bore a pair of holes right through him like a pair of matched lasers.
"I'm sorry!" he shouted, putting the skillet down, before backing away a respectful six feet, and bowing repeatedly.
Sella, evidently appeased at this show of admiration for her cookery, gave a small nod.
Taking a closer look around, Shiro noticed that while the appliances were all fairly new, and the cabinet fronts and countertops seemed to have been recently updated, the wooden framework that supported them was ancient. The wood was dark with age, very dry and porous, with corners that were rounded and irregular, while the various knobs and drawer pulls were all worn as if they had been handled a thousand times.
At one time it must have all been very fancy, but most of the ornament had been muted by time, though the fronts of the cabinets that supported the central island still bore traces of a floral pattern, while their edges were decorated with a fluted pattern that had a dusting of flour in their grooves.
Shiro stared at this questioningly. Leysritt and Sella were both excellent housekeepers, to the point that most of the castle interior felt so perfectly preserved it might as well been in a museum. So to see anything that looked remotely untidy seemed utterly out of place.
Seeing his confusion, Sella chuckled.
"Hmm – hmm – hmm – one year Miss Illya ordered that we were going to make cookies for Christmas, and that she was going to help us. I don't think all of that flour is EVER going to come out."
"Ha! I could TOTALLY see her doing that", Shiro said, laughing along with her. He could easily imagine Illya in an apron standing in the middle of them and barking orders, with icing on her face and flour in her clothes and hair.
Sella regarded the dusty corner warmly, as the shadow of a thought made its way across her face.
"Is everything all right?"
For a moment she touched her fingers to her chin. And then she nodded slightly, as if she had decided something.
"Those two are certainly taking their time. Right this way, young Master. There's something I think you might like to see.
At Sella's direction, Shiro followed her through the kitchen, and up a flight of stairs, to a hallway beyond. Its floor was of polished wood, and carpeted with a wide runner of pinkish purple color. There was a door on the left, with another further down, but Sella led him to another door that was on the right, set partway in between them.
The panels and moldings were all of wood, and kept in perfect polish, exactly as Shiro would expect of Illya's maids. Sella opened the door, and motioned for him to go in.
The room on the other side was not especially large, but roomy enough. It held a desk with a lamp, and a laptop computer, rather bulky and old fashioned looking by the standards of the day, though at one time it must have been quite modern looking. Along with it was a printer, and various trays for sorting documents, while the entire back wall was one large, built in shelf, full of books and files and folders of various papers.
The room was old. The colors of the walls and floor and the wooden paneling all told him that. Even the air itself seemed to have taken on the patina of time. But it was well kept – everything was dusted and arranged and organized as if someone might return to it at any time.
"This was your Father's old office."
"Wow . . ." Shiro said again, softer this time, and with an air of reverence.
"Master Emiya was a good master. He was always very kind to Lady Irisviel. And he was utterly devoted to Miss Illya. I – thought you might like to see this."
Shiro nodded as he looked around the room, his eyes filled with a sense of wonder. And then he let out a small laugh.
"Does young master find something amusing?" Sella asked.
"It's just – everyone's always told me how Dad was an unconventional man – especially for a Mage. He didn't do things the way that Wizards do. There's a workshop at my house, but – I think for him, THIS was probably his magic workshop. He didn't really use spells or incantations – this was how he worked, and figured things out."
"Were you . . . close to your Father?"
" . . . yeah. I was adopted, but . . ."
"Miss Illya told me as much."
"To me – Dad was my Dad. I don't really have a lot of memories from before the fire. It's not like I have amnesia – I can remember some things, but – it's almost like those memories belong to someone else. For me, everything starts with that night."
Sella nodded.
"Those who have been touched by tragedy often find their own unique ways to deal with the matter."
Shiro approached the desk with care. As he walked around it, nothing on its surface seemed unusual – there were no secret files or confidential reports about the Grail War or anything like that – but as he came to the back, seeing it from that side gave him a strange feeling.
Looking at the chair, he placed his hands on the armrests on either side, then carefully eased himself down. He waited for a moment, but nothing happened.
"Hmm. I guess I expected even the chair to be magical", he said a bit sheepishly. "That, or for it to be booby trapped."
Sella laughed.
"Your Father was a very practical man. He wasn't given to ostentation. He wanted things to be functional, and of good quality."
Leaning forward, Shiro studied the lamp that sat atop the desk. It was a modern rendition of an old, banker's style, with an arched neck and a shade to direct the light of its two bulbs down onto the table. It fascinated him somehow, being a piece of an adult world that he had imagined, but could not picture himself being part of.
Pressing the switch, the left side flickered on. The right side remained dark.
Shiro frowned.
"Ah, that old thing. Leysritt and I tried to fix it by replacing the bulb, but it was no use. It's got a short in it somewhere. You needn't trouble yourself, it's not anything you did – "
But before she had finished speaking, Shiro had already rolled up his sleeve.
"Trace on – "
At these words, a series of green lines fanned out along the length of his arm. A second set of lines spread out over the body of the lamp.
"Tracing basic structure – "
Sella watched him curiously. She'd seen many different kinds of magic before, but she had never seen this one, and so she watched with interest as Shiro closed his eyes to focus on his work. In his mind he could both see and feel the pulse of magic power as it coursed through the wires.
"Ah ha – there it is!" he said, noting a frayed ground on the right side where the light was out.
"Strengthening component materials – "
With a flicker the bulb came on.
"There, that should do it."
"Hmm", Sella nodded appreciatively. "Like Father, like Son."
"Sorry – " Shiro said, scratching the back of his head. "I guess I should have asked first."
"What are you two up to in there?" Leysritt asked, calling out from the hall.
"Young master Shiro was just showing me how to fix a lamp", Sella answered, before turning to him and adding under her breath. "You shouldn't have let me know you could do that, boy. I'll be giving you a list."
Looking up at Illya, Shiro gasped.
Her face was powdered porcelain white, while her lashes were drawn out, making them look even longer and more luxurious than usual, especially at the corners, where her eyes hinted ever so slightly upwards. She'd drawn lines around them, and the shadows over each eye were painted, starting out a dark purple, then wafting up like smoke, rising up in a dizzying haze, while her lips were colored like an amethyst, a small, rare jewel, emphasizing the very kissable nature of her mouth.
Her dress was a dark purple sheath, all of satin, but instead of fastening in the back, it had a row of buttons running up the right side in a line reminiscent of her coat. It was belted at the waist, and tied off with a bow offset to one side, its ribbons hanging down, while at the bottom of her gown, a second, white skirt peeked out modestly.
As Shiro's eyes travelled up and down, she made no effort to stop them, but stood, twisting shyly from side to side as she bathed in his admiration. For shoes she wore a pair of crystal heels. They were plastic, of course, but their frosted texture gave them the appearance of being made from ice. It was a fitting emblem for the daughter of winter, and as Shiro looked, they made him think of the glass slipper from the Cinderella story – a rather romantic image – but the thought of Illya on her back, sitting half reclined, with one leg outstretched towards him as he removed her shoe made him think of all sorts of other things.
His face flushed red, and rather guiltily he turned to look at her, to see if she had noticed – only to find Illya looking back at him alluringly, as if she had guessed his thoughts, and she half closed her eyes, as if to tell him that she would not mind. Turning to face him, her gaze filled with a cloying sweetness, and when she took a step in his direction, he got tunnel vision. The world went dark around him. All he could see was her.
Looking off to the side, her eyes travelled to the nearby sofa, and her head filled with thoughts of how quickly she could push him down, and climb on top of him.
"Ahem!"
A cough from Sella reminded them both that there were still other people in the room.
"What are you looking at?" Illya asked, making her way over to the far side of the desk.
"Oh, it's Dad's old computer", Shiro explained, as she bent over and leaned in close.
Looking at the two of them, Leysritt froze. Shiro was much younger of course, and his hair was red instead of black, and much shorter than Kiritsugu's, but it had that same vague, messy, undefined quality to it, and the line of his lapel reminded her of one of his dark suits, while Illya stood leaning over him in her purple dress, her long, white hair hanging down to drape over his shoulder.
It was as if she had seen a ghost. Possibly two of them.
The moment was short lived.
"Hey, watch it!" Shiro said, batting her away as her hair got in his face. For an answer, Illya pressed closer, throwing her arms around his shoulders, before suddenly letting go.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" she said, running out into the hall, where she disappeared into the first door on the left, carefully shutting it behind her.
She made her way past the dresser, to her mother's old chest of drawers. There was a small jewelry cabinet sitting on top of the armoire, along with a mirror, but what she wanted was inside a small compartment with a hinged door.
Opening it, she took out a little bottle. It was made of cut crystal, very fine and delicate, with an elaborate top. Removing the cap, she made a small spray along her left arm, then rubbed her wrists together, before reaching up and rubbing them along the back of her neck, leaving the scent where Shiro would be sure to find it, if he were to lift her hair.
The ritual complete, she replaced the cap, then looked at the bottle lovingly.
"Mom . . ." she said, giving it a small squeeze before placing it back in the cabinet. "This is for you."
She took one last look at the strange woman in the mirror, with her painted eyes and jeweled lips and flowing hair, then stepped back into the hallway.
"Sorry to keep you waiting", she said, closing the door gently behind her.
Shiro had no idea what she had done, but whatever it was, it seemed to have left her looking even lovelier than before, though by now he had begun to be of the impression that every time he looked at her, she would be more beautiful than the last. As it was, he didn't think anyone could ever be any prettier than she looked now, but he had the feeling that if she were to step away again and come back, somehow she would be even more beautiful still.
"Ahem", Leysritt said, making a small, polite cough into her fist. "Miss Illyasviel?"
Illya excused herself for a moment and stepped into the next room, leaving Shiro to stare after her longingly. For a moment he could hear voices, but they were very low, so that he could only make out the very end of what was said.
" . . . Now you DO realize that this is only for EMERGENCIES, do you understand?"
"Mm Hm. Yes ma'am."
"Very good."
Coming back, Illya lead the way downstairs to the hall, where she put on her white scarf, making a loose pass around her neck, then set her purple hat upon her head with all the grandeur of a queen adjusting her crown, before allowing Shiro to help her with her coat.
"Miss Illya – " Leysritt chided. "Surely you aren't thinking of going out with your coat unbuttoned.
"Aw! But my dress is so pretty! I don't want to cover it up!"
"You'll catch cold", Leysritt scolded, turning to Shiro to let him know that this was where he was expected to say something.
"It'll be fine", Shiro said, not daring to defy the older homunculus. "Besides, you'll be able to take it off at some point when we get there", he added, helping adjust the way the collar sat over her shoulders. As he did, he noticed that the door on the other side of the hallway, which had been closed, was now open.
Peering through, he could see a very formal sitting room, full of stuffy, uncomfortable looking furniture. But it was what he could see through another door on the other side that really caught his attention.
"What's that?" he asked, noting racks of different weapons along the wall, several of which he'd have liked to copy.
"Oh, did Sella not show you the armory?" Leysritt asked, as Sella went over to one of the displays, and took down one of the halberds off of the wall. It was a strange, bladed contraption, with a long top spike and a hammer on the back, while the front had a sharp bill in the shape of an axe.
"Every castle has an armory – " she explained, as Sella took the spear out into the middle of the room, and began swinging it around, making a series of very ominous swooshing noises.
"In addition to cooking and cleaning, and a rudimentary understanding of magecraft so that we could help Miss Illya with her studies, the Einzbern family also insisted that Sella and I be proficient in self defense. They said that we should study polearms – something about them being a feminine art in this country, and women defending the house while the men were away, and all of that. I'm passingly decent at it, but Sella is quite, good, don't you think?"
Shiro watched as Sella made a sweeping cut with the blade of the axe, right at gut level, that would be sure to disembowel a man. Turning it over, she swung from the other side, bringing the hammer down in a devastating smash, before finishing up with a terrible thrust – right at crotch height.
"Now I DO trust that you will have Miss Illyasviel home on time? Yes?"
Shiro nodded weakly.
"Excellent! Now, have a good time. Be careful, and don't hesitate to call us if you get into any sort of trouble."
"So, where are we going?" Illya asked cheerfully, as Shiro was still recovering.
He swallowed hard, adjusting his collar, before turning to look at her, grateful for the change of subject.
"Oh, you'll find out . . ."
"Ohh! You should have told me we were going to a festival!" Illya shouted. "I would have worn a kimono!"
"But I didn't want to spoil the surprise!"
They were standing downtown in the middle of the Fuyuki Festival, that was normally held over New Year's, but for some reason had gotten delayed that year. At the moment they were in the middle of the street, as the other festival goers passed by on either side, giving them a wide berth.
"I've got a matching obi and sandals and everything – Big Brother, you are the worst!"
Shiro didn't mind the mock argument – he actually thought it was kind of cute – but he could have done without some of the odd stares and awkward comments from the other passers by.
"Ah – kids these days . . ."
"Just like an old married couple."
"That is why I am SO GLAD I don't have a girlfriend – that way I don't have to put up with stuff like this – "
"Oh WHATEVER! You only WISH you had a hawt chick like that!"
"'Big Brother' – what's up with that?"
"They both look kind of foreign – maybe that's a term of endearment where they're from?"
"No, I'm pretty sure that's still creepy, wherever they're from."
Shiro sighed.
Illya, for her part, had chosen to ignore the comments about their sibling status (even though she was the one who had brought it up), and focus instead on being called a "hawt chick." She stood for a moment, batting her eyes at this independent confirmation of her "hawtness". As an apology, she allowed Shiro to buy her a small cloth purse, which she assured him matched her afore mentioned obi, that she informed him she would be wearing to the next festival, which she also informed him that he was now hearby obligated to take her to.
"Oh good grief", Shiro sighed again, getting the impression that he was getting a good look at his future.
The festival grounds were lined on either side with booths selling food and trinkets and toys, as well as a variety of carnival games. The smell from the food stands was amazing, and they hadn't had dinner yet, so they decided to head there first. Originally, Shiro had figured that they would stop by a café at some point to get something more tangible, but in short order they'd polished off a forest of grilled yakitori skewers, several sweet taiyaki pastries, about a dozen dumplings, and two crepes, leaving him feeling like he would never be able to eat again.
"How does someone so small eat so much?" he wondered, looking over at Illya who was currently finishing off a giant tuft of pink cotton candy.
"Ohh! Let's do the games next!"
"Ohh . . ." Shiro groaned his approval.
Most of the games were pretty standard fare, with a variety of stands for thing like ring toss or shooting galleries with small toy guns, and some as simple as pulling out a chopstick with a string that told you if you'd won a prize or not.
"If only Archer were here", Shiro thought, lamenting his poor aim with one of the toy rifles. "He'd probably be good at this kind of thing."
They'd had several small wins, but no spectacular successes, most of the prizes being little plastic trinkets that filled up the purse he'd bought for her earlier. Shiro had wanted to win her a plush toy, but quickly deduced that it would be much cheaper to simply buy her one, and made a mental note to pick one up from one of the vendors before the night was over. But the one thing that Illya seemed most interested in was the goldfish scooping.
"Aw! It broke again . . . One more time!" she called, and Shiro handed over the money for a fresh paddle.
The paper that made up the scoop was so thin, it could easily be torn just by placing it too quickly into the water, and after half a dozen attempts moving very slowly and holding the paddle at every possible angle, he was fast coming to the conclusion that the game was designed to be impossible.
There were other stands around the festival grounds that did the same sort of thing, but Illya had gravitated to this one because along with the usual goldfish, they also had several beta fish mixed in. One of these in particular had a white body with fins that were a vibrant purple, and she'd become very taken with it.
"Just one more time!"
"You have to hold it at an angle", the man running the booth said, "and move it verrrry slowly."
"Maybe you should try?" Illya said, looking at Shiro over her shoulder.
Shiro took a deep breath.
With great power came great responsibility. And his Father had always taught him to never abuse Magecraft. But Shiro was also pretty sure that the people running the stand were a bit crooked. And anyways, what was the point of having power if you never used it?
"Trace on" he whispered, leaning close so that Illya's back would hide the green glow.
He didn't want to make things too obvious, and besides, a steel paddle would hurt the fish, so in the end, he just made the paper a tiny bit stronger, maybe about ten to fifteen percent or so.
"That should do it."
"Ohh! And I was so close! What's that – "
"Nothing – here, on second thought, you're better at things like this."
As if by magic (probably because it was), the paper of the scoop somehow held out, straining but not breaking as Illya gently lifted the fish out of the water, and into the bowl. The attendant looked at her incredulously, then put the fish with some water into a bag, and they were on their way.
"Hmm, your name is Shiro, so – " Illya thought out loud, admiring the fish in its temporary home as it dangled from a ribbon she had tied to her arm. "I've got it! I'm going to call you Murasaki!"
"Murasaki?" Shiro asked. "It's a good name – "
"Murasaki Emiya!"
"Wait, what?"
Shiro wasn't sure what to make of the fact that Illya's fish shared his last name, but he decided it was probably best not to read too much into it.
From there, they made a sweep of the far end of the stalls, where they picked up a fox mask, a folding fan, and a small red umbrella which Illya insisted Shiro stand under with her for a moment, even though there was no hint of rain, before moving on.
Adjacent to the festival grounds was a display called The Fuyuki Festival of Lights. It was made up of different displays in the shapes of winter scenes and prominent buildings. There was one in the shape of a cathedral, while another was made to look like an arabesque palace, with a central dome and minaret towers.
"I wonder what Gilgamesh would think of this?" Shiro wondered.
Given the haughty hero's insistence that everything be original, and his intense hatred for replicas, Shiro imagined the sight of all of the brightly lit imitations would be enough to give him a fit.
"Hmph! Serves him right", he thought. "That bastard could stand to be offended once in a while."
The next exhibit was in the shape of a giant castle. As someone who lived in an actual castle of historic significance, Shiro did not expect Illya to be all that impressed. Even with his own much humbler, limited experience of the world, he found the whole thing a bit kitsch, and rather garish. But it had a very marked effect on Illya.
"Oh! Look there!" she called, pointing to one side. "And ohh! Look there!" she said, pointing to the other.
The Tunnel of Light in particular was a very great success. This was simply a series of lights run on strings and stretched on poles over a section of the street to make a lighted pathway. But Illya got so excited she alternated between running ahead, dragging Shiro along after her, and forcing herself to stop and walk slowly, pressing herself against his arm in an effort to not let the experience end.
It was a strange contrast. She was so small, and slender, and with her petite form wrapped beneath her thick coat and hat, it seemed as if there was very little girl at all in the middle of all that fabric. But when she pressed against him, he found he could feel her clearly, even with the thick coat between them. She was so full of energy and life. And so warm.
"Ohh! We should go on the ferris wheel!"
"I don't know . . ." Shiro said, checking his watch. "The line is awfully long . . ."
"Oh come on! It's not like we're in a hurry!" she pleaded, taking his hand and walking backwards.
The line for the ferris wheel was long, but it was populated entirely by other festival goers, which gave the whole scene a bit of a party atmosphere. There were vendors positioned strategically off to the side selling hot chocolate to help warm them, and the grounds were located next to the water, where they caught a mild sea breeze, so all in all, the wait was not an unpleasant ordeal.
Illya stood in front of him holding her hot chocolate between mittened fingers. She'd chosen them instead of gloves as she thought that they were cuter, and gave her otherwise womanly figure a hint of girlish charm. She puffed and blew and sipped at the drink occasionally, while Shiro again checked his watch. They were making good time, and for all its size, the line moved quickly enough, so that at first it seemed like they would make it onto the ride without having to wait for the next go round. There was still one car left, and it had only two occupants, a mother and her small child.
But at the last moment, the attendant thrust out his hand to stop them. He took one look at Shiro, then a rather long look at Illya, and then back to Shiro again, before shutting the gate right in his face.
"That was rather rude", Shiro complained, totally misunderstanding the great favor that had just been done for him.
"Oh, don't worry about it", Illya said. She was in such high spirits, it seemed nothing could ruin her good mood. She leaned on him as they waited while the wheel made its circuit, passing through a number of rotations, before finally slowing again, and coming to a halt.
The whole process then began again, with the attendant instructing the passengers of each car to disembark, and then ushering those next in line to their seats. Much to Shiro's surprise, they were admitted to the now empty car, and the attendant quickly closed the door behind them. The car rose, bringing the next one behind them into place, and suddenly he saw the wisdom of making them wait. They were only a few feet off of the ground, but he and Illya were in the enclosed car together. And they were alone.
"Wow!"
Even though they were only a few feet in the air, Illya immediately got out of her seat, and started looking all around. First she looked off to her right, at the city with all its lights behind them. And then she looked to her left, out at the sea, and the famous Fuyuki Bridge with its two red arches.
The interior of the car was tiny, and every time the wheel moved, she leaned against him heavily, so that she was practically sitting in his lap. The car rose again, and she rushed to repeat her observations, each time checking to see what new sights came into view with each new elevation.
Shiro was pretty sure it was bad manners to actually press your nose against the glass, but didn't say anything about it.
"I guess Illya really doesn't get to leave the castle that much", he thought, remembering her remarks when they had met one day during the previous Grail War.
Apart from fighting, and the few instances when she had gone into town, as near as he could tell, she had spent her entire life since moving to Fuyuki City in Castle Einzbern, with only Leysritt and Sella for company.
"No wonder this is such a big deal for her", he thought, as the car rose once more, and she again darted from side to side, eager to see what she could see of the city, and the harbor beyond.
They were near the top by now, and he resolved to himself that this would not be a one time occurrence.
"When we get done with this stupid war, I am going to take her lots of places. To the beach, and the tower, and even silly stuff like the mall, or just grocery shopping. I'm sure she'd like to get out and – "
He was so distracted by his own thoughts that he didn't realize they had gotten to the top. As the car settled on its hinges with a slight wobble, Illya dropped all pretense of leaning against him, and sat sideways in his lap, pressing her face against his.
"Thank you . . ." she said softly, her voice filled with a gentleness he wasn't used to.
"Wha - ?"
"For today – for tonight – for everything . . . This has all been so – wonderful – "
And with that she pressed her lips against his.
Shiro wasn't sure how long they stayed at the top, or how long the kiss lasted. Eventually, they resumed their descent, down the other side, and Illya resumed her observations, duly noting each building and landmark.
"Oh wow, the Festival of Lights looks totally different from up here!"
But all Shiro could think about was the feel of her lips, and the sound of her words.
"Wonderful . . ."
They got to the bottom, and by now the cars were all full, so the attendant flipped the switch, and set the wheel in motion. Illya took her seat, and for a while they just watched the sight of the city spinning past, and the lights of the harbor, the horizon rising and lowering. Shiro could feel the whirring of the car echoed in his heart. The wheel made several passes, growing faster, then slowing, until eventually it was time for them to get off again.
When they exited the ride, something of a hush had come over the crowd. At first Illya thought it was just her own emotions, but looking around, she was certain that something was different. A number of lights had gone out, both at the festival grounds, and in the city as a whole. A silence had come over everything, so that the sea, which had barely been audible before, now seemed to be roaring. Some of the people had flocked to the water's edge, while those that remained on the grounds seemed to pace back and forth. There was a nervous energy everywhere she looked – it wasn't a panic, but there was definitely a sense of restlessness.
"Something's happened", she thought to herself, tightening her grip on Shiro's hand as she felt the steely cold that had served her so well in the previous Grail War creeping back in again. "Time to go."
But when she turned to leave, she felt a sudden resistance. Looking back, she saw that Shiro, who all night long had been content to let her drag him along after her, stood fast.
"Mmm – mm", he said quietly, shaking his head. "This way."
At Shiro's insistence, she let him lead her back through the fairgrounds, and off to the side, through a short alley, and then two blocks over, further away from the festival. She wanted to ask him what was the matter, or if he had seen what had made everyone get so jittery, but there was something in his manner that was so serious, she decided it was best not to question him, at least not yet.
As the closeness of the alley shut out the sounds of the festival behind them, she looked down at her hand, where she knew the Command Seal lay slumbering beneath a few loose passes of a gauze bandage. Should she call her Father?
"No, not yet", she thought. "We don't know what's going on, and anyway, Shiro hasn't called for Saber yet. Better to understand the situation first."
At Shiro's direction, they made their way up a fire escape, climbing two floors, to a back door that was propped open by a small chip of wood. He ushered her in, then kicked out the stop, letting it close behind them.
"What is going on?" she thought. It felt bad saying it, but there was something exciting about all of this. She and Shiro had done everything so far with the consensus of everyone else. There was something exhilarating about acting alone like this, just the two of them, and she resolved that if they ran into danger, she would show him just how capable she was. She had her ice magic, after all, and her magic threads, and she knew a lot of other spells besides.
Shiro lead them through another door, and down another passageway, out into a main hall. The building was empty, but the elevator in the lobby was still running, and he quickly pressed the button.
"Is that really wise?" she wondered. After all, in an emergency, the elevator might stop working. But the stairs would be much slower, especially dressed as they were. "I guess it's a tradeoff either way", she thought, looking to either side, keeping up her guard as the doors closed.
They rode the elevator up to the second floor from the top. When the doors opened again, Shiro peeked out, looking in either direction furtively, and then lead them down another hall, to what appeared to be a small restaurant. It was closed, and completely dark, but to her surprise, the door was open. There was something eerie about seeing the interior of what should normally be a crowded place with no one there. The bar was empty, the grey light glinting off its collection of bottles and glassware, while the tables all had their chairs overturned.
Shiro lead her through the dining room, which was just as empty as the bar had been, and out, though a small door, onto what was most likely a patio in warmer weather, though at the moment it was completely devoid of any furniture. Looking out, she could see that by now the entire city had grown dark. The fairgrounds were a vague mass of shapeless grey, while the Festival of Lights had been completely put out. Even the normally brightly lit red expanse of Fuyuki Bridge could no longer be seen.
"What's going on", she whispered, turning back to see Shiro leaning over with his hands on his knees.
"Whew – we barely made it."
It was then that the sound of a massive explosion ripped through the entire building.
For a moment, Illya stood transfixed.
The sound was deafening, coming from somewhere behind her, echoing off the faces of the surrounding buildings, reverberating between them before echoing back, amplified, with a tangible report that could be felt as well as heard.
Looking over her shoulder, Illya saw a long, silvery trail like lightning, only backwards, moving up from the ground, and more slowly. She watched it rise, then slow, until it seemed to stall, before going out altogether. For a moment, it was completely dark. And then there was a second explosion as the sky split forth in a flowering flame.
Illya watched it descend, its orange trailing arms streaming out in all directions, until each one disappeared with a small crackle. A second report sounded, and another silvery trail made its way up into the sky, until it too burst, this time in streaks of yellow.
And then the entire sky exploded.
Whirling, Illya looked back at Shiro, her eyes streaming a sparkle of diamonds as the entire space over Fuyuki Harbor became a cacophony of light and sound.
"Are you all right?" Shiro asked, as he stood behind her.
"It's just – so – beautiful . . ."
Putting his arms around her, he rested his hands on the railing, as Illya alternated between yelling and pointing, periodically turning to look at him, resting her head against his chest as she gestured to her favorite colors.
"Ohh! Look there! And that one! Look at that one!"
Every time she tried to point one out, it disappeared, only to be replaced by several others that were even more beautiful. For a moment they stood, the beating of their two hearts united amid the thunderings that filled with sky with explosions of color, while the gathering smoke made the air grow thick around them.
"Uwaugh!" she shouted, throwing up her arm as a shower of soot rained down from a shell that had gone off particularly close by. Falling back, she allowed Shiro to hold her protectively as they both admired the ever changing painting all around them of smoke and fire.
"Aw . . . I guess it's finally over", Illya said, once the last report had finally sounded.
Looking over the side, they could see the street, which had been empty as everyone flocked to the water's edge, had now become a sea of people.
"Ugh!" Shiro said. "There's no sense going down there and getting mixed up in all of that! Better to stay here and wait for things to clear out a little."
"How did you FIND this place?" Illya asked, watching the streets and agreeing with his sentiments.
"Archer helped me. We took note of the barge where all of the fireworks were set up out in the harbor, and then he used his gift of Supernatural Sight to find a place that wouldn't be crowded, but would still give a good vantage point. That and he, uh, helped me make a few other arrangements . . ."
"Oh really?" Illya asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah – it's probably best not to ask too much about it – " Shiro laughed nervously.
"Well, this certainly looks like a place that an Archer would pick. They truly are an amazing class – you can practically see the entire city from up here!", she said, gazing out.
"Yeah – we spent several nights scouting it out. You should have seen it – Archer made me climb up all sorts of places, and do all sorts of crazy stuff. I thought I was gonna die! But he said he wouldn't help me if I was too chicken."
They spent the next several minutes just standing and talking, watching the city lights, and the planes taking off and leaving from the airport, and engaging in silly pastimes like counting the number of blinks from the light atop Fuyuki Bridge, trying to decipher if its signal held some secret meaning, and going through the contents of Illya's new cloth purse to take stock of their winnings from the fair.
"That was so much fun!" Illya said enthusiastically.
"Yeah, we'll have to do this again next year."
"Yeah . . ." she agreed dreamily, forming her lips into a circle and admiring the frosty cloud that her breath made.
"It's getting late . . ."
"Yeah . . ." she said again, reluctant to agree, or make any motion that would cause the night to end.
"We should probably get going . . . Come on, let's go down and – wait a minute", Shiro said, trying the door handle.
'Oh no!"
"Is it stuck?"
"Worse!" he said, rattling it desperately. "It must have locked behind us! What are we gonna do!? I guess I could call Miss Taiga, and – "
"Relax", Illya said, gathering up several of her magic threads. She bound them together to make a small strand of wire, which she then inserted into the lock, feeling around for a moment before twisting it.
"And done!" she said triumphantly, hearing it click.
Shiro stared at her incredulously.
"Dad taught Mom how to manipulate magic threads, and she showed me. She was amazing at it – she could manage so many of them at once that she could make a bird that was fully animated. It could flap its wings and everything – you would swear it was alive! It's pretty handy – though I'm surprised you didn't just do your tracing thing on it – "
"Oh, that. Yeah, I uh, didn't think of it", Shiro said as they made their way through the closed restaurant, and he shut the door behind them, this time making sure that it locked so that there would be no trouble for the owner the next morning.
"Just as well! I can't let you have ALL the fun!"
"We should probably be quiet", he added as they made their way towards the elevators. "After all, we're not supposed to be here."
"Nonsense. If anyone stops to question us, we'll just act like we belong, and ask them what THEY are doing here!"
Shiro stared again, amazed at her boundless confidence.
The elevator bell rang, and they got off again at the second floor, then followed a back way out, to where Archer had showed him there was a service door that locked from the outside.
"Okay, now to just catch a train and – 11:50!" Shiro shouted, finally thinking to check the time. Just how long were we up there!"
Illya giggled for an answer.
"Time flies when you're having fun?"
"But the trains stop running at midnight! Come on, if we hurry we can make it!"
Which might have worked, if Illya wasn't wearing heels. But she was. By the time they got to the station, they were just in time to watch one of the through trains go roaring past without making a stop. The last train that DID stop had already left five minutes ago.
"HEY WAIT!" Shiro shouted, waving his arms, but of course it didn't. "Damn it – now what are we gonna do?"
"It'll be fine."
"Why are YOU so confident?"
"Um, Illya? Illya!?" Shiro called, the panic in his voice rising as Illya made a beeline for a building that was shaped like a giant pink castle.
The "Castello De Amour", as the banner outside read in a hodgepodge of different languages, was a strange collection of turrets and spires, complete with a door shaped like a drawbridge, all painted birthday cake frosting pink. It was brightly lit, with flashing neon signs that advertised the availability of a variety of differently themed rooms, along with costumes and accessories.
"I thought these kinds of places were supposed to be discrete!?" Shiro lamented, walking fast to keep up behind her.
Much to his relief, Illya continued on, past the pink monstrosity, to a much more normal, pedestrian looking building located behind it.
"Whew", he sighed, feeling the tension leave him. "For a moment there, I seriously thought she was going to take us to a love hotel."
"I TAKE IT BACK!" Shiro shouted inwardly, his sense of panic immediately spiking on a scale of one to ten to somewhere around an eleven. "THIS IS TOTALLY A LOVE HOTEL!"
He had never been to such a place, of course, his only knowledge of them coming from what little he'd seen in games and on TV. But looking around, there could be no doubt that this was, in fact, a love hotel.
The lobby was devoid of any attendants, instead being lined with a number of kiosks where one could check in anonymously. There were a variety of room options, with clever names and themes. One promised a wild jungle safari, and was titled "The Quest For the Dangerous Beast", while "Notice Me Sempai!" had a classroom setting, and "A Thousand And One Nights" had an Arabian theme with oriental rugs and a mountain of satin pillows. Some of the more elaborate ones also came with costume suggestions – the recommended attire for the "Dangerous Beast" room was a fur bikini, while the classroom predictably had a sailor style school uniform, and the Arabian suite suggested a pair of see through harem pants along with a satin vest that looked like it could barely close and a veil.
"Oh! This looks promising!" Illya said, pausing on a room that was modeled to look like a dungeon that would have been right at home in the basement of the castle next door.
"Are you crazy!"
"Hee hee, just kidding."
"I can't believe you brought us to a place like this."
"What? We have to stay SOMEwhere – and this is cheaper than a regular place – "
"That's because it's by the hour!"
" – and they have a great room service menu!"
"I'm pretty sure that's not the main selling point."
Much to Shiro's relief, as Illya kept scrolling, the rooms took on a decidedly more normal character.
"Maybe they just keep all the freaky stuff in the basement" he thought. They eventually settled on one called "The Sensitive Salaryman Special", which noted in parenthesis (Business Class), and listed features like a king bed with memory foam pillows and a 12 function shower head instead of things like handcuffs and blindfolds and an instruction manual on how to use the restraint system.
"There's no way this is going to work", Shiro thought as Illya selected several options, then produced a credit card from her purse.
"Wait – how does she –"
With one deft motion, she swiped it, at which point the machine spit out a magnetic key card.
"There's NO WAY this is going to work!" he repeated, mostly to try to reassure himself as they approached the counter, cringing at what he thought would be the inevitable embarrassment.
The check in was laid out with anonymity in mind, with a tall desk that came up to chest height, and a series of cabinets that came down to form a screen at face level, the general effect being that those on one side of the desk had no way of getting a good look at those on the other.
Just as Shiro had feared, an attendant stepped forward as they approached.
"My apologies for having to ask, but I'll need to see an ID, Miss – "
"Einzbern", Illya answered, and without any hesitation, she slapped an ID card down on the counter with a loud "clack!" As she slid it towards him, Shiro could see that it bore a picture of Leysritt. Under other circumstances, such a ruse might not have worked, but the homunculuses of the Einzbern family were all clones, so the likeness was compelling, and given that the attendant had only what he could see from the security camera and the little photo on the ID card to go off of, any differences were negligible at best.
"My apologies again, Miss Einzbern", the attendant said, sliding the card back towards her. "Please enjoy your stay."
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ACTUALLY WORKED!" Shiro thought with desperation, hearing the hall door close behind them.
"I'm going to freshen up!" Illya announced, as soon as they got to the room, before bounding off with endless enthusiasm.
Shiro heard the shower start, the sound of the running water making him light headed at the thought that she was currently undressing in the next room.
"Are you sure you don't want to come in?" she asked, making him jump as she peeked around the corner. "The tub is separate, and it looks like it's got a Jacuzzi."
"No, I'm fine, thanks!"
The idea of all of that hot, soapy water coursing over Illya's naked body was more than he could bear.
Thankfully the room itself seemed altogether normal. It had a King sized bed, with a padded headboard, and two nightstands with matching lamps, as well as a small sitting area near the door. For a moment Shiro busied himself with turning on the lights and looking out the window, before flopping down onto the chair.
"Sigh . . . I guess this isn't THAT big of a deal", he thought, putting his legs up on the footstool. After all, he and Illya had slept in the same bed before. And she practically lived at the Emiya estate. Still, he wondered what Leysritt and Sella were going to say about them being out all night – not to mention Rin, Sakura, and Saber.
"I guess we'll just have to deal with that tomorrow."
He heard the sound of the water slow, and then turn off completely, followed by a pleasant humming.
"I'm sorry for making you wait", Illya called, her voice echoing from the bathroom.
"That was quick!" Shiro answered, trying to make conversation.
"I didn't wash my hair, so it didn't take very long. I loved the smell of the fireworks. It was just, it felt like the smoke was clinging to my clothes. Do you mind if I take off my makeup?"
"Go ahead."
"It was getting a bit heavy and greasy. I'm not used to it, I guess."
"It's fine," Shiro answered, hearing the sound of the door. "I want you to be comfortable – "
When Illya emerged, she was wearing the white slip that had been under her dress. He'd wondered if she would come out in a towel, and feared what might happen if she came out completely naked, but in a way, this was even harder to take. There was something vestal, something virginal about seeing her in her white gown. She looked like an angel standing there, with her hair down, and shyly dragging her bare feet along the carpet.
Without warning, she straddled his knees.
"Hey! What are you – "
"Tee hee! Doesn't this remind you? Of the first time you visited my castle? Back in the other Grail War?" she asked, easing herself down onto him. "Things were just like this back then, too."
"That's because you kidnapped me! I'm pretty sure I was tied to the chair – "
"Well if you wanted to be tied up you should have said so – I mean – we COULD have gotten that other room – "
"That's not what I meant!"
"And besides, Shiro – " she added, suddenly leaning close, "I've kidnapped you again now – "
"Uwa!"
The sensation of her breathing against his ear startled him, and he stood up, nearly throwing Illya to the floor. He turned to catch her, but the motion was more violent than he'd intended, with the result that he ended up pinning her against the wall.
For a moment she looked up at him, trembling as she wondered what he was going to do. Seeing him hesitate, she sighed, and turned he head to the side.
"It's not fair – " she pouted. "Saber's always with you. And Rin gets to see you at school. And that little purple haired girl comes to visit you every night – "
"Illya . . . It's not like that."
For an answer she threw her arms around his neck.
"All I can give you is what little I have – " she said, looking at him through the lashes of her half closed eyes.
As Shiro looked down into her face, he could not help but feel the generous warmth of her bosom heaved up against him.
What little indeed.
"I know I can be a lot of trouble. I'm unpredictable, and out of control. So I'm going to give you a little gift. A way to keep me in line –"
"Illya, what are you – "
Reaching up, she undid the buttons of his shirt, then pulling his collar aside, pressed her lips against his neck.
"I'm giving you a Command Seal", she said, sucking hard.
"From now on, I'll be your Servant", she went on, pulling her lips away with a smacking sound. "There'll be three of them – " she went on, moving her lips to another part of his neck, further down.
'Any time you need me – you can use them to make me do anything you want –" she added, finishing the second mark, and moving on to the third.
'And when you've used them all up – " she said, springing up into his arms, "I'll replace them again."
And here she kissed him, falling on his mouth with open lips.
"You know", she said breathlessly, as they both paused for air, "I wouldn't mind, even if we really WERE brother and sister – "
"Um, Illya – that's – "
"If I was your sister, I'd have grown up with you", she said. "We'd have always been together, right from the start. Sharing everything. Inseparable. We'd have eaten together – taken baths together – slept in the same bed together – I'd have been with you constantly, until you couldn't even tell the DIFFERENCE between your body and mine – " she said, pressing herself against him.
Unable to take this line of thinking, he kissed her again, but of course that only encouraged her more. Throwing her arms around him again, they fell back against the curtains.
"But the window – " Shiro said.
"No one can see. We're too high up, and the glass is tinted. No one can see us here – And besides, I wouldn't care if they could. I'm not ashamed to be seen with you. Let them look – "
And here she lifted her leg, placing her foot against the other side of the window sill, causing her skirt to fall away so that the line of its hem rose dangerously high along her thing. Dangerously close to her –
"Is she even WEARING underwear!?" Shiro wondered, feeling a fever come over his brain. Without thinking, he moved his hand to check, but at that moment, Illya slipped back, sinking further into the window, pulling him over on top of her.
There was something wonderful about making out with her with all of the lights of Fuyuki City behind them. Her back was pressed against the glass, and over her shoulder he could see the lights of the harbor, and the twin expanses of the red Fuyuki Bridge stretching away beyond.
Suddenly she rose up in his arms.
"Sorry", she panted as Shiro stood up. "My back had a kink in it – " she giggled, before resuming their kiss.
As her arms wrapped around his neck again, Shiro tried to tell himself that they had to stop. But when his hands found her waist and back, he couldn't remember why. There was something about a War – and the Grail – but that all seemed so far away. Illya was here right now. And kissing her was an end to itself. It was just as important – possibly more important than any of those other things.
Sensing her impending victory, Illya rose up on her toes, and then kicked off. For a moment they seemed to float weightlessly as she pressed herself against him. And then they toppled over onto the bed