Back in the city again, but this time it's not a recon mission.
The Fuyuki mall is decently crowded, even on weekdays. I guess that should come as no surprise though, since we're in the most densely populated part of Japan.
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be right around... there," I say, looking at the entrance of a clothing store. "This should have what we need."
Caster's gala is tomorrow and our preparations are almost done. We're just here to buy the proper attire to blend in with the crowd later.
The dresses and suits lining the display window outside look finely crafted. I reckon they're on the pricey side. More of the same awaits us inside. It's not an establishment where the average person comes to shop, that's for sure.
We approach a nearby sign that outlines where to find each clothing section.
"Looks like the dresses are on the second floor," Jeanne says.
"And suits' on the first," I say. "Guess we'll split up. We'll be done faster that way."
I hand her a credit card and we agree to meet up outside once we're done. I make my way over to the men's section and peruse the selection for a few minutes. They have everything ranging from formal attire to high-class business suits and wedding apparels. You can even order something custom-made.
I settle for a black suit with a matching tie and a white dress shirt. Can't go wrong with the classics. More importantly, it's not too restrictive to move in and has some space to hide my gun and other small tools.
After paying up, I walk back outside and check the time.
It's 14:13 am. I've been in there for barely 20 minutes. Guess I'll just wait for now.
My eyes idly wander around to see if there's anything to pass the time. A table in front of the adjacent store stands out. There's a dark purple cloth draped over it and a sign that reads Fortune Telling.
The guy sitting behind the table is clad in a white robe with a hood. On the table is a crystal ball, a stack of cards, and various other oddities.
I sigh internally. This is as cliché as it gets.
The fortune-teller perks up and turns in my direction. "Care for a reading?"
"Sorry, I don't believe in that stuff," I say.
Actually, the Faculty of Astromancy in the Clock Tower uses the stars and their constellations to glimpse into the future or someone's fate or... something along those lines anyway.
At any rate, I don't sense anything from this guy. He's probably trying to make a quick buck by telling people what they want to hear.
"You seem to have time on your hands though," he says. "I'll even make it free of charge, just for you. How about it?"
I get the feeling that he'll keep pestering me until I give in. Since I can't leave until Jeanne is back, I might as well just get this over with.
"Fine, you win," I say, walking over to his table. "So, how does this work?"
"Take this deck of tarot cards and shuffle them however you want," he says.
I get a look at his face when he hands me the deck. White hair and purple eyes... I feel like I've seen this guy before, but keep that thought to myself for now.
I look through the cards once before shuffling them, then place the deck face-down on the table where I proceed to cut it once.
"Now what?" I say.
"Draw a card and put it face-up on the table," he says. "This one will represent your past."
I do as he says. The first card depicts a wheel with various symbols on it and the roman numeral for ten, though it's upside down from my side.
"The Wheel of Fortune in the reversed position," he says. "It would seem that luck has not been on your side in the past and that you have experienced your fair share of misfortune or even tragedy."
A bit vague, but... not far from the truth. Probably just a coincidence.
"Ah, but there's no need to be concerned," he says. "Just like fate, the wheel is always in motion and will eventually turn in your favor."
Is this the part where he tries to sell me something?
"Anyway, your next card symbolizes the present," he says.
I draw the next one from the top and place it next to the other one.
"The Hermit in the upright position," the fortune-teller says. "You appear to be in a state of contemplation, considering your next steps, or seeking truth in regards to something personal."
Okay, this is starting to become a little unsettling. A coincidence that happens twice in a row isn't a coincidence anymore.
No, what am I thinking? There's no way this is for real. He's probably just really good at reading people or something like that.
"Judging by the pattern so far, I'm guessing the next card will show me the future?" I ask.
He smirks. "You catch on quick, that saves me the trouble of explaining."
The following card depicts a tower, surrounded by thunderclouds with the roman numerals for the number sixteen at the bottom.
"The Tower in the upright position," he says. "It represents radical change, usually in the form of an unexpected event. Perhaps you will experience something that will have a profound effect on your outlook or face some kind of truth that will shatter you to your core."
"In other words, you can't tell me anything more concrete than 'something will happen soon'," I say.
"The future is always in motion," he says. "Whether this sudden upheaval will result in something good or bad remains to be seen."
"More vague lines that sound like something out of a book titled Fortune Telling 101," I say. "So, are we done?"
"Not quite," he says. "There are still two more cards left. The next one, the fourth, serves as inspiration while the fifth and final one gives insight into steps that need to be taken to achieve your goal."
Well, I've come this far, might as well get it over with.
I reach for the next card.
"Death, upright position," he says.
"That doesn't sound ominous at all," I say.
"Contrary to popular belief, it is actually one of the most positive cards in the whole deck," he says. "It signals that one chapter of your life is closing and that a new one is beginning. You will have to place your past behind you and focus on what's ahead."
More lines out of some life lessons book. It takes some restraint at this point to keep me from rolling my eyes.
"I'll go ahead and draw the last one," I say. "Here goes nothing."
I place the card on the table and the fortune-teller pauses for a few seconds to look at it.
"Another card in the upright position. This time, it's the Chariot," he says. "It will be a long and winding process, but so long as you remain focused and determined, victory will be yours."
"Yeah, sure-" I say. "Wait, what was that last part?"
"Hm? That victory will be yours?" he says. "I meant it metaphorically, of course. Everyone fights their own battles, internally and externally, throughout life."
I look this guy over one more time. I feel as though I've met him somewhere before, but just when I'm on the brink of remembering, the memory eludes my grasp.
"So, what did you think of your first reading?" he says. "Even if you don't believe in fortune telling, it can still be a fun pastime, no?"
"As far as distractions go, I suppose it wasn't too bad," I say.
"That's the spirit," he says. "Experiencing new things is the secret ingredient to a fulfilling life."
Come to think of it, Jeanne said something similar to me about opening up and trying new-
"Ah, there you are," Jeanne says, coming up to me with a shopping bag in hand. "My apologies if I made you wait."
"It's fine, I wasn't waiting long," I say. "Ready to go?"
She nods and I turn to the fortune-teller. "Well, goodbye."
"Farewell," he says, waving as we walk away. "And have fun on your date!"
I open my mouth to correct him, but there's no point in explaining things to random strangers. Let him think whatever he wants.
"Say, do you have anything else planned for today?" Jeanne asks.
"Not particularly, no," I say. "The plan is set and the preparations are done. Why?"
"Then how about we take the rest of the day off and see what the town has to offer?" Jeanne asks.
I guess it's fine. So long as we stay near a lot of people there's no chance of an enemy attack in broad daylight.
"I have no objections," I say. "Anywhere in particular you want to go?"
Jeanne thinks for a moment. "I think I heard something about a fair nearby. Maybe we could go there?"
"Well, here we are," I say.
The first thing I notice is the sweet smell coming from the nearby food stalls. Looking around, the venue is lined with all kinds of booths, bustling with people.
I should keep an eye out for pickpockets, places like these might as well be their hunting grounds, but I don't think I'll have to worry about an enemy Servant or Master making a move in this-
"You are thinking about the Holy Grail War again, am I right?" Jeanne says, her lips taut.
I turn toward her. "Do you have a mind-reading skill I should know about or am I that predictable?"
Jeanne shakes her head. "I would not go that far, but I have observed you for a while now and picked up on some of your habits."
"Like what?" I ask.
"I believe the term people in this era use is workaholic," Jeanne says with the smile of someone proud to have learned a new word.
"Well, you're not wrong," I say. "But you're also not the first to point that out."
Ryoken, Vincent, and even the other freelancers at the Clock Tower from time to time. I spend my time off either training or learning, always thinking about what's coming next.
Though it's not like I've never tried going out and having some fun, but I wasn't able to enjoy myself. Maybe I'm incapable of living like a normal person.
"That is precisely why you need to learn to unwind during your downtime," Jeanne says. "This here is as good an opportunity as any! I will help you out as well."
"Oh? I didn't think you had experience in these things," I say.
"Eh... Truthfully, I do not," Jeanne says.
Her gaze falls to the side in embarrassment for a few seconds before she perks back up. "But that is okay, too! We can both learn!"
If she's that enthusiastic about it, I can hardly turn her down. Well, there's no harm in giving it a shot.
"Alright, I guess we start with one of the games they offer here?" I ask.
We approach the next best stall and have a look. People are catching goldfish out of a shallow tank with what appears to be a paper scoop.
I examine the sign which outlines the basics of how to play.
"So, the goal is to catch as many fish as possible until your scoop tears," I say.
"Oh, we should see which of us can catch the most," Jeanne says.
"Alright, you're on," I say.
I wave the operator over who hands each of us a bowl of water and a scoop. I pay for them and we proceed to pick out a free spot at the tank.
The scoop is not very big and the handle is rather short. I reckon you can catch two at best.
I glance over at Jeanne and-
Wait a minute, she's already caught three. It's times like these when my habit to analyze everything comes back to bite me.
Picking out a fish that's not agitated, I slowly lower the scoop into the water behind it and pull it out.
Alright, that's one down.
I'm fairly certain the trick is to not make too hasty movements to startle the fish and to not cause the paper to tear.
With that strategy in mind, I proceed to repeat this process and catch one after another...
Until my paper scoop eventually tears from a fish struggling too much after being pulled out of the water.
"Well, I'm down for the count," I say.
Somehow, Jeanne is still going. I don't even need to count to see that she has more than me. Though she seems to be concentrating, so I decide to silently wait for her.
"Ah, I guess this is it," Jeanne says, turning toward me. "But it was fun."
She lifts her scoop and sure enough, there's a gaping hole in it.
"You did well though," I say. "And you won our little competition, but we didn't wager anything."
"Having fun together like this is enough of a reward for me," Jeanne says.
I'm not sure I share her sentiment in these simple things, but... I don't dislike it at the very least.
We have the option to take the goldfish we caught home, but we can't take care of them for obvious reasons. In the end, we release them back into the tank and move on.
Let's see what else they have here. Ring toss, katanuki, high striker...
Yeah, let's not try that last one out. Considering that Servants possess superhuman strength, Jeanne would probably end up breaking the machine.
"Is there anything you want to try out?" Jeanne asks.
"Ah, not in particular, no," I say. "I'll let you decide."
Jeanne looks left and right at the stalls until her gaze lingers on one in particular. Taking the hint, I begin moving toward it with her right behind me.
This one has a bunch of loose ends of probably a hundred strings protruding from the front. They're bundled together, leading further to the back where each thread is tied to a prize.
This type of attraction is called a string lottery. A game of chance, in other words.
Well, chance is relative here. Games like these are prime to be rigged in the owner's favor. They could, for example, have the strings attached to the main prizes just end somewhere inside the bundle so no one would ever draw them...
Then again, not everyone is out to scam people. Not that it makes much of a difference to me. It's just a meaningless game, anyway.
I shake my head free from these thoughts before Jeanne catches on. I hand the owner enough money for a few pulls.
"Here goes nothing," I say, approaching the bundle.
They all look identical to me, so I just pull on the next best one and...
It's a dud. Amazing.
"Your turn," I say to Jeanne.
She takes my place and contemplates the bundle for a moment before reaching out. Not like she can fare any worse than me, but I don't think she-
Both the owner and I stare in astonishment as she pulls up one of the main prizes.
"Uhm, is this good?" Jeanne asks me.
That look of genuine confusion is kind of adorable.
"Yeah, you pulled up a game console. Good job," I say. "But uh... We don't have any use for it."
"It would be a shame to let it go to waste though," Jeanne says, looking around. "Oh, I know!"
She walks over to a child, who has apparently been watching this whole thing and hands him the box. The kid thanks her profusely before going on his way.
"That's one way to solve that problem," I say. "Still, I'm certain you made that kid's day with that. What say we grab something to eat?"
We make a quick stop at the next food stall and pick up some yakisoba noodles. They come out a bit greasy for my liking, but it doesn't bother me too much.
I glance sideways at Jeanne and see a satisfied expression on her face. Come to think of it, food like this wasn't around during her time, so every dish is a new experience for her.
"Enjoying the modern era?" I ask. "Actually, what did you do for fun back then?"
"As you may have guessed, things were not all that exciting compared to today," Jeanne says. "But I usually spent my time helping my mother in the house or attending church."
I'm not sure what kind of response I was expecting, but it fits the image people have of her. That said, it does sound kind of dull. Not that I'm in any position to criticize the use of her free time.
"I see..." I say.
Now I remember why I usually avoid any small talk in the Clock Tower. I can't hold a conversation that isn't work-related for too long.
"What about you?" Jeanne asks. "How do you spend your spare time?"
"In-between missions?" I say. "Acquiring new intel or restocking on gear and ammo. Every once in a while, I check in with my confidants too."
Jeanne looks at me like I just grew a second head, unsure of what to say.
"Probably not the answer you were expecting, huh?" I say. "That's just how it is, I'm afraid. Why do you ask?"
"I hoped to see you enjoy yourself if we took part in an activity you prefer," Jeanne says. "But this is turning out more difficult than I expected."
"You don't have to go out of your way for me," I say. "But if that's the case then..."
I look around again and spot a game where I'm confident to excel at.
"Let's try that shooting gallery," I say.
We approach the stall to take a closer look. There are targets of different sizes, some of them even move in a circular motion along the wall and naturally score higher points. The weapons are prepared toy rifles that won't do any real harm. Pretty straightforward.
"I shall simply observe on this one," Jeanne says. "I am afraid I am no good with firearms."
"Fair enough," I say, waving the owner over to pay for a round.
I take the rifle into my hands and aim down the sights for a little to get a feeling of it.
Everything looks fine. Aim, inhale, and…
The target falls over with a clank. I load the next shot and repeat the process, again and again, until I run out of ammo.
That's five of the smallest moving targets down with five shots. The owner looks back and forth between me and the wall as if he's still trying to figure out what just happened.
"Wow, that was some great shooting," he says. "Well, pick any prize you want. You earned it."
I take a cursory glance around the shelves. It's mostly cheap toys or festival trinkets. Hmm, what to pick...
I spy some small, cloth bags with woven patterns on them. If I'm not mistaken, they're some kind of good luck charm. Let's go with that.
"I'll have one of these," I say.
"Omamori? Here you go," he says. "And a second one for your girlfriend."
"Thanks, that's-" I sputter. "Wait, she's not-"
And he's already talking to the next customer. Oh well, no point dwelling on it.
I guess it's not too far-fetched for others to see us like that, but the thought of us dating...
Wait, where am I going with this?
"Hey, are you still there?" Jeanne asks, snapping me back to reality.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was just, uh, looking at these omamori," I say. "Oh, this one's for you by the way."
Guess she didn't hear that comment from the owner.
"Thank you very much!" Jeanne says. "But I have to say, that was really impressive."
"Well, I'd like to believe I'm a halfway decent shot considering my profession," I say. "But thanks. Shall we be on our way?"
Jeanne nods and we continue our stroll, stopping once more after a while for some taiyaki.
Eventually, we've seen everything there is to see and began our trek back home. The sun has already set and the stars are coming out.
"Didn't realize how quickly time passed," I say.
Jeanne looks at me as we keep walking. "That is usually a sign that you enjoyed yourself, right?"
"It's true that I haven't done something like this before," I say. "It was... a new experience, but in a good way."
"Then our extended stroll was definitely worth it," Jeanne says, smiling to herself and gazing forward again.
Is what I've experienced today what a normal life could be? A life with no war, violence, or bloodshed. A life where your biggest worry is not being late for work or deciding what you'll be having for dinner.
But part of me feels like I'm not cut out for that sort of life. First, I'd have to live through this Holy Grail War, and then...
I glance over at Jeanne.
Even if I do survive, I'd be all alone again.
We cross the walkway running parallel to the bridge over the Fuyuki River when Jeanne stops and looks out toward the ocean.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Oh, it is nothing," Jeanne says. "I simply could not help but admire this view. You see, when I was young, it was my wish to see the ocean. I was fortunate enough to have that wish granted before I lost my life, but I still find it wonderful to behold."
I walk up to the railing and lean against it to join her. A light breeze passes us as we watch the waves reach the shore.
"Can't blame you," I say. "It really is an amazing view."
The ocean is calm, reflecting the moon and the stars in the sky.
"This starry sky reminds me of the other night when you were stargazing in the backyard," Jeanne says.
"Yeah, I've always loved the stars," I say. "When I look up to them, it feels as if I'm somewhere else, free from all worries at that moment."
We remain like this for a little longer, the only noise coming from passing cars in the distance and the ocean ahead.
Eventually, I feel as though I'm being watched. It turns out that it's Jeanne, with a joyful expression on her face.
"Hm? Is there something on my face?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "No, but this is the first time I have seen such a genuine smile on your face. It really suits you!"
"I- I see..." I say. "Uhm, thanks?"
My heartbeat quickens. I haven't realized how close we are up until now.
Usually, I have no problem talking to someone, but now? Now, I'm having trouble keeping eye-contact with her. What's this weird feeling in me? I have to say something or change the topic before this gets awkward.
I glance around and latch onto the first thing I see in the sky.
"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?" I say.
Jeanne turns her gaze skyward again. "Yes, it really is."