The Slums

[SINIB]

Shirou

Shirou looked at her with sympathy, the reason for his kidnapping beginning to become clear in his mind.

"Oh...", he said. "I'm sorry...."

Rin

She haphazardly tossed it to the side. "You have a really convinent power, Emiya-kun." She smiled weakly, staring at his familar face. She remembered the lengths he'd gone to to save Sakura, to protect her, even when everyone else had given up hope.

She felt like a knife was going through her heart, and she clutched it.

Even when she herself had resolved to kill Sakura.

She wondered if, had she done things differently, had she been just a little bit more supportive and loving, if things would have turned out like this. If she'd just checked on Sakura all those years, and not willfully been blind...

Tears welled up in her eyes, streaming freely down her face as she looked down at the ground, away from him. Away from the man who'd done everything for Sakura when she needed it most, even throwing down his very life.

"Really... I'm such an idiot..."

[SINIB]

Joseph

Oh, that was nice. If he ended up needing a new arm that one wasn't bad at all, especially seeing as it was only a shadowy facsimile! There would be a mild risk of rejection but nothing too bad. He'd consider it later. He needed... hmm. What was he looking for again. His eyes gleamed narrowed in concentration.

"You're pretty nice, miss. But we should get back to my offer! Are you sure there's nothing you need? No medical work? If you have the funds for an investment I could work do some soul tinkering or familiar work for you too."

Sakura

"Ah-no, not from you, I've got all of my needs handled. I'm pretty happy sharing a body, ehehehe..."

Sakura shuddered inside at the thought of letting a stranger operate on her again. She hadn't liked it when her grandfather did it, and kirei hadn't been great for her either in the end. "Thanks for the offer, though. Is there anything you'd like from me...?"

[Umbra of Chaos]

Joseph

He hummed a bit with a a pleasant smile on his face, the tension in his features giving way to a placid gentleness. "Well, if you do need anything you just have to ask." Another perusal through his own shadow had Joseph retrieve a jarred specimen, a shriveled humanoid creature that appeared more like a doll than anything else.

"Just shake this hard enough to wake it up if you ever need to chat. I'll be there in no time at all." He left the jar in front of the door before his shadow reared up, swallowing him in an instant and vanishing.

[SINIB]

Sakura

"Huh..."

Sakura reached down, gingerly picking it up, and began inspecting it, trying to see what spells had been cast on it. As a test, she gave it a little shake.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Joseph

Besides some sort of familiar bond there was not much she could read from the creature. It was obviously supernatural, but there were no major functions she could pick up. It didn't even stir with that slight movement.

[Cherry Lover]

Shirou

Shirou watched on sadly as Rin began to break down in tears, obviously regretting her behaviour during the Grail War. And, based on what he knew of Rin, he had a fairly good idea what it might be that she regretted. Then, without warning, he reached out and pulled her into a hug.

"It's OK, Rin", he said, softly.

[SINIB]

Joseph

Besides some sort of familiar bond there was not much she could read from the creature. It was obviously supernatural, but there were no major functions she could pick up. It didn't even stir with that slight movement.

Sakura

Sakura shook it again, this time more vigorously, taking it into her familar's body. She tried absorbing mana from it.

[SINIB]

Rin

Rin stiffened up like a board. She sat perfectly still as if she were a block of ice.

"W-what?" She asked quietly as she began shaking uncontrollably. "Wh-whawhawhat are you doing, Emiya-ku-kun!?! This is super inappropriate!"

She didn't dislike it, though.

[Cherry Lover]

Shirou

After a few moments, Shirou realised his mistake and let go of her, pulling back. He'd been too upset by the sight of someone in his wife's body crying to think that she might not react as positively as Sakura would have to such an act.

"I..I'm sorry, Tohsaka", he said. "I shouldn't have just hugged you like that."

[SINIB]

Shirou

After a few moments, Shirou realised his mistake and let go of her, pulling back. He'd been too upset by the sight of someone in his wife's body crying to think that she might not react as positively as Sakura would have to such an act.

"I..I'm sorry, Tohsaka", he said. "I shouldn't have just hugged you like that."

Rin

Rin scooted back, shaking her head, putting her hands out in front of her. "You should be, stupid! Hmmph!" She turned her head away from him to hide her massive blush. "Jeez, apologizing to your kidnapper. Are you sure you don't have stockholm syndrome, Emiya Kun?"

[Cherry Lover]

Shirou

After a few moments, Shirou realised his mistake and let go of her, pulling back. He'd been too upset by the sight of someone in his wife's body crying to think that she might not react as positively as Sakura would have to such an act.

"I..I'm sorry, Tohsaka", he said. "I shouldn't have just hugged you like that."

Rin

Rin scooted back, shaking her head, putting her hands out in front of her. "You should be, stupid! Hmmph!" She turned her head away from him to hide her massive blush. "Jeez, apologizing to your kidnapper. Are you sure you don't have stockholm syndrome, Emiya Kun?"

Shirou

Shirou rolled his eyes and sighed at Rin's typical response, reasonably certain from her reaction that she had not been anywhere near as offended by his actions as she was making out.

"No, I don't have Stockholm syndrome", he said with a kind smile. "I just don't like people being sad, especially my friends and family."

[SINIB]

Shirou

After a few moments, Shirou realised his mistake and let go of her, pulling back. He'd been too upset by the sight of someone in his wife's body crying to think that she might not react as positively as Sakura would have to such an act.

"I..I'm sorry, Tohsaka", he said. "I shouldn't have just hugged you like that."

Rin

Rin scooted back, shaking her head, putting her hands out in front of her. "You should be, stupid! Hmmph!" She turned her head away from him to hide her massive blush. "Jeez, apologizing to your kidnapper. Are you sure you don't have stockholm syndrome, Emiya Kun?"

Shirou

Shirou rolled his eyes and sighed at Rin's typical response, reasonably certain from her reaction that she had not been anywhere near as offended by his actions as she was making out.

"No, I don't have Stockholm syndrome", he said with a kind smile. "I just don't like people being sad, especially my friends and family."

Rin

"I-idiot..." Rin muttered, turning away. She didn't like how he was making her feel at all! It wasn't fair!

She suddenly felt a pair of ethereal arms wrap themselves around her in a hug.

Senpai really is amazing, isn't he?

Mmm...

Rin cleared her throat in an attempt to dispell her embarrassment. "A-anyway, I can't just release you just like that. Your Sakura is probably gathering a team to kill me, plus you've seem my hideout. I'll need you to agree to some conditions, Emiya-kun."

[Cherry Lover]

Shirou

After a few moments, Shirou realised his mistake and let go of her, pulling back. He'd been too upset by the sight of someone in his wife's body crying to think that she might not react as positively as Sakura would have to such an act.

"I..I'm sorry, Tohsaka", he said. "I shouldn't have just hugged you like that."

Rin

Rin scooted back, shaking her head, putting her hands out in front of her. "You should be, stupid! Hmmph!" She turned her head away from him to hide her massive blush. "Jeez, apologizing to your kidnapper. Are you sure you don't have stockholm syndrome, Emiya Kun?"

Shirou

Shirou rolled his eyes and sighed at Rin's typical response, reasonably certain from her reaction that she had not been anywhere near as offended by his actions as she was making out.

"No, I don't have Stockholm syndrome", he said with a kind smile. "I just don't like people being sad, especially my friends and family."

Rin

"I-idiot..." Rin muttered, turning away. She didn't like how he was making her feel at all! It wasn't fair!

She suddenly felt a pair of ethereal arms wrap themselves around her in a hug.

Senpai really is amazing, isn't he?

Mmm...

Rin cleared her throat in an attempt to dispell her embarrassment. "A-anyway, I can't just release you just like that. Your Sakura is probably gathering a team to kill me, plus you've seem my hideout. I'll need you to agree to some conditions, Emiya-kun."

Shirou

Shirou smiled for a moment at Rin's reaction to his statement, before his smile was replaced by a frown on hearing what she had to say, aware of the truth in her statement.

"No, I imagine she's gathering a team to rescue me", Shirou responded. "She's not a vindictive person, and she knows that I wouldn't want you to be harmed if possible, so I doubt she'll actively seek to kill you. But, still, it would put you and her in danger if she was to attempt a rescue, so I'd be happy to agree to reasonable conditions for my release. What do you have in mind, exactly?"

[SINIB]

Tsumiko

"I want you to forget that we exist. I don't want to inconvenience our host any more than I have."

She answered solemnly.

[Cherry Lover]

Tsumiko

"I want you to forget that we exist. I don't want to inconvenience our host any more than I have."

She answered solemnly.

Shirou

Shirou frowned.

"Do you mean that you want to erase my memory? If so, then that seems a little risky. Sakura knows I was kidnapped, and if I forget what happened then I can't explain it to her or calm her down. I might not even be able to find her in time", he said.

"If you just mean that you want me to pretend that I never met you, though, then I can do that. I won't tell Sakura where you live, I promise, and I won't seek you out."