Pine Garden

[Elf]

Emiya

The white haired man smirked at that and asked, "Is that so?  Well, I guess I'd better be on my guard."

Emiya left the sink on for her to wash her hands.  The water was already warm so she wouldn't have to wait for that.  He did frown, wondering if the water was too warm.  He reached over and adjusted the temperature slightly before Tsumiko put her hands under the sink.

"Heat's a weird thing for me, I wouldn't want you to burn your hands because I had the sink set on high and not aware of it," he said with a shrug.

Fire is my blood and all of that.

[SINIB]

Emiya

The white haired man smirked at that and asked, "Is that so?  Well, I guess I'd better be on my guard."

Emiya left the sink on for her to wash her hands.  The water was already warm so she wouldn't have to wait for that.  He did frown, wondering if the water was too warm.  He reached over and adjusted the temperature slightly before Tsumiko put her hands under the sink.

"Heat's a weird thing for me, I wouldn't want you to burn your hands because I had the sink set on high and not aware of it," he said with a shrug.

Fire is my blood and all of that.

Tsumiko

Tsumiko shook her head slightly. She had a painfully thin grimace on her face, and Archer could see the barest hints of tears welling up in those familiar eyes. It was a very similar face to that which Sakura had always made when she was recalling bad memories and didn't want to talk about them.

"It's ok. A little pain never bothers me anymore." She took a step forward, and thoroughly began scrubbing her hands and arms, like she always did before cooking. She paused after a few seconds though to click her tongue. "For some reason, this is really nostalgic, damnit..."

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya blinked as he noticed a very familiar look on Tsumiko's face.  She looked both terribly stubborn and struggling not to cry.  It's a look I've seen a thousand times on different Sakura's faces, he thought with a frown as he handed her a towel.

He did smile at her, his eyes closing as he did.  "It's really nostalgic for me too, Tsumiko," he replied. 

[SINIB]

Emiya

Emiya blinked as he noticed a very familiar look on Tsumiko's face.  She looked both terribly stubborn and struggling not to cry.  It's a look I've seen a thousand times on different Sakura's faces, he thought with a frown as he handed her a towel.

He did smile at her, his eyes closing as he did.  "It's really nostalgic for me too, Tsumiko," he replied.

Tsumiko

"Did this happen often? I really don't remember a thing from my previous lives, before I was spat out into this world by that-holy grail." She clicked her tongue, shaking her head before scowling. "Some miraculous wish granting device that monstrosity was."

She sighed, finishing washing the suds off her hands before turning the sink off, slowly.

[Elf]

Emiya

And there it is.  Previous lives she said.  Is she alone in that body or stuck in some sort of alternate reality loop? Emiya thought, wishing Rin was here.

She would have ate this up as a puzzle for to solve, approaching it in different angles, screwing it up at first before finding her groove.

He turned to face her and asked, "How many lives have you lived, Tsumiko?  There's part of you that is something I know very well and that you should be dead in normal circumstances for having it, Grail mishaps besides."

Emiya held up his left hand and wiggled his fingers before tapping the bandages on her corresponding arm.

[SINIB]

Tsumiko

Tsumiko stopped. She bit her lip and looked down at her feet, shuffling slowly in place. She reached up towards her ribbon as if to play with it, but instead pulled her hoodie up. She began taking deep breaths and looked away from Archer, away from his question.

She unconciously began to step back away from him.

This question was scary, because she didn't know the answer. It terrified her. It was such an easy question! The answer should be one, and only one!

But for her, she didn't know. All these people's lives were intertwined in the back of her head, mixed together and jumbled up. Who knew how many people she was a composite of? Not her! "I-don't know..." She finally mumbled after ten or fifteen seconds. She wasn't exactly sure.

[Aiden]

Vega

"So you wish to test me." He pondered for a moment, walked up to a counter in the living room, and picked up an apple. His eyes locked with the reflection on the fruit. His tone was far more serious than before. "In order to grow, one must surpass their weaker self. That is what it means to be victorious..."

Only then did his eyes move away, to look at his challenger in the eye. He took a healthy bite of the fruit. It was sweet, ripe and overflowing with juice. Its taste was victory, and glory. All which fate had decreed he would receive. Perhaps that was why that girl arrived at his doorstep as well? And yet-

"Unfortunately, I dislike battle. I could not bring myself to strike you." He raised his hands up in surrender with an amiable smile.

Mira

The purpled-haired brawler watched Vega's every move as he spoke to himself and ate the tasty looking apple. She crossed her arms, the muscles in them gently flexing with the motion, and considered the meaning of what he said. It was all common sense to any fighter worth their salt - to strive against those who could challenge them. To challenge yourself.

But then Mira's eyes widened at his last line. She leaned forward, put her hands on her hips, and looked at him and his muscles incredulously. "A guy as strong as you, who fights as hard as they say you did, doesn't like to fight?"

She scoffed, and lifted one of her hands to wave it past her face as if she'd smelled something awful. "Don't try to fool me, pretty boy. Nobody gets as good as you apparently are without passion."

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya watched as the young woman stopped, reach for the ribbon in her hair, stop and then pull up her hood.  She looked away from him and took deep breaths, as if she was trying to calm herself.  He watched her, keeping as still as he could until he folded his arms across his chest.

Then she stepped away from him.

Finally she said in a low voice, "I-don't know..."

He reached out and gently rested his hand on her head.  "It's okay that you don't know," he said in a soft voice as he bent his knees to meet her eyes as best as he could.

"But, you could hurt yourself without knowing what you're doing," he said with a smile, "And . . ."  The smile ran away from his face as he took a deep breath.

"If you're not compatible with that spiritually," he said as he gestured to her arm, "It will be fatal.  I want to help, but I need a beginning.  You said a Grail right?  Well, I've been both a Master and a Servant.  With a little more information, maybe I can help you connect the pieces."

And you know, make sure that Unlimited Blade Works doesn't destroy you from the inside out.

[SINIB]

Emiya

Emiya watched as the young woman stopped, reach for the ribbon in her hair, stop and then pull up her hood.  She looked away from him and took deep breaths, as if she was trying to calm herself.  He watched her, keeping as still as he could until he folded his arms across his chest.

Then she stepped away from him.

Finally she said in a low voice, "I-don't know..."

He reached out and gently rested his hand on her head.  "It's okay that you don't know," he said in a soft voice as he bent his knees to meet her eyes as best as he could.

"But, you could hurt yourself without knowing what you're doing," he said with a smile, "And . . ."  The smile ran away from his face as he took a deep breath.

"If you're not compatible with that spiritually," he said as he gestured to her arm, "It will be fatal.  I want to help, but I need a beginning.  You said a Grail right?  Well, I've been both a Master and a Servant.  With a little more information, maybe I can help you connect the pieces."

And you know, make sure that Unlimited Blade Works doesn't destroy you from the inside out.

Tsumiko

"Huh?" She blinked, reaching over and touching her arm. "That's never given me any trouble, though. It's just my slightly larger arm."

And then, she turned to look him in the eyes. "And I don't know too much about those things. I just know that what created me was the grail, eight years ago."

[Elf]

Emiya

White brows furrowed as steel colored eyes widened and then narrowed as Emiya's handsome face twisted in a scowl.  He stood there for a moment, letting her words sink in.  Just my slightly larger arm.  Just, he thought.

He tilted his head and asked, "You don't dream of swords do you?  Especially really pretty ones?"

[SINIB]

Emiya

White brows furrowed as steel colored eyes widened and then narrowed as Emiya's handsome face twisted in a scowl.  He stood there for a moment, letting her words sink in.  Just my slightly larger arm.  Just, he thought.

He tilted his head and asked, "You don't dream of swords do you?  Especially really pretty ones?"

Tsumiko

The girl lit up at the mention of swords. "I love them! They're so sharp, pretty, and shiny. So simple and clean, they make me feel so calm."

She seemed to be absolutely beaming as her circuits glowed and a beautiful sword appeared in her hand. Caliburn. King Arthur's sword thrummed with magical power as she handed it to Archer. "This is my favorite."

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya smiled as Tsumiko seemed to bounce back and proclaimed her love of swords. 

He was about to reply to her when something impossible happened.

He felt his heart race and his chest tightened as he beheld one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.  It had been a memory buried deep within him, almost completely forgotten until he saw her again.  He staggered back as he looked at Caliburn once again.

Emiya's hand shook as he took it from her and it felt as if the blade warmed him as he held it.  "I'd almost forgotten it," he said in a soft voice as he took a familiar stance, as if she was there again, guiding him as she had all those years ago.

He lowered the sword, handed it back to her handle first, and asked, "What else can you Trace?"

[SINIB]

Emiya

Emiya smiled as Tsumiko seemed to bounce back and proclaimed her love of swords. 

He was about to reply to her when something impossible happened.

He felt his heart race and his chest tightened as he beheld one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.  It had been a memory buried deep within him, almost completely forgotten until he saw her again.  He staggered back as he looked at Caliburn once again.

Emiya's hand shook as he took it from her and it felt as if the blade warmed him as he held it.  "I'd almost forgotten it," he said in a soft voice as he took a familiar stance, as if she was there again, guiding him as she had all those years ago.

He lowered the sword, handed it back to her handle first, and asked, "What else can you Trace?"

Tsumiko

"Uh." Tsumiko didn't know how to answer that one! "Um, a lot? Anything I see, really... But some things cost more mana, it's really inconvenient!" She puffed out her cheeks in a sort of pout before smiling. "It's really pretty though. I dreamed about it once, and then the next morning, I woke up with it in my hands!"

[Elf]

Emiya

The former Archer nodded and as he asked, "Are swords easier than anything else?"

His smile was both sad and wistful as he looked at Caliburn.  He said, "It is.  And the person who wielded it was as well.  Even though she was hungry almost all of the time."

[SINIB]

Emiya

The former Archer nodded and as he asked, "Are swords easier than anything else?"

His smile was both sad and wistful as he looked at Caliburn.  He said, "It is.  And the person who wielded it was as well.  Even though she was hungry almost all of the time."

Tsumiko

"Hm, was she? I wonder if I knew her." She said casually, spinning around and skipping towards the refridgerator. She was really excited. She'd never done anything fun with anyone before!

"What do you want to make?"